The Primordial Nightmare seemed to sense the Primordial Power within Roswitha, an energy directly opposed to its own, and it grew even more frenzied.

It ceased its indiscriminate attacks on everything around and instead concentrated all its energy into its chest.

A black-red sphere of magical energy began to coalesce there, its oppressive and violent aura suffocating to anyone nearby.

Even during this charging phase, Leon could already feel the unprecedented strength of the impending strike.

He stepped forward, preparing to channel his lightning magic to assist Roswitha.

But Claudia placed a firm hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“What’s the matter?” Leon asked, glancing back at her.

“A confrontation between Primordial Powers isn’t something your regular lightning magic can aid in,” Claudia explained. “Besides, that Black Dragon Scale is incredibly peculiar. Unless it’s countered by Roswitha’s Primordial Power, ordinary magic likely won’t have any effect at all.”

Leon clenched his jaw in quiet frustration. Although he was unwilling to stand idle, Claudia’s explanation made sense. Acting impulsively could not only fail to assist Roswitha but also lead to unnecessary complications.

With that in mind, Leon stepped back. Slowly raising his arm, he placed Claudia behind him as a protective gesture. In the next moment, magical energy flared around him, forming a skeleton-like construct of glowing blue lightning.

The spell was none other than the super S-class lightning magic, **Void Shadow**.

Leon had used this technique in the “Slay Six Dragons within Ten Seconds” battle, where it withstood the full-force assault of four Dragon Kings simultaneously.

Yet back then, he had only employed Void Shadow in its initial stage. Now, in the face of the Primordial Nightmare’s attack, he directly reinforced the skeletal framework with not one upgrade, but two.

In an instant, layers of crackling lightning armor enveloped the structure, visibly enhancing its defensive power several-fold.

Watching the Void Shadow now shielding her, Claudia gave him a low, approving nod.

“Out of everyone I’ve seen, you’re the first to take Void Shadow to such an advanced level.”

But even as Claudia paid him this subtle compliment, Leon had no time to feel pride. His gaze remained fixed on Roswitha’s back, silently cheering her on.

---

The battle in the Upper District was being transmitted through the scattered remnants of the Recording Stones nearby, simultaneously projected to Resonance Arrays of Recording Stones throughout the entirety of the Empire.

In other words, the citizens across the Empire were witnessing this revolutionary war unfold with their own eyes.

At this moment, the images displayed showed a woman, known as the Silver Dragon Queen, standing alone against the ultimate monstrosity created by the Empire.

Her slender figure faced the Primordial Nightmare, appearing as if a fragile ant standing before a raging storm.

Yet she showed no fear. The seven-colored radiance around her grew brighter and brighter, while her silver hair danced wildly in the winds created by the energy surging around her.

“Who would’ve thought a Dragon Queen would truly stand with us…”

“But… can she really defeat that monstrosity?”

“Believe in her—and believe in Leon Casmode. They’ll overcome this crisis.”

---

On the battlefield, both sides had finished charging their energies.

The Primordial Nightmare attacked first.

With a deafening roar, a world-destroying beam of energy shot straight at Roswitha.

Even those at the edges of the battlefield—Rebecca, members of the Lionheart Association, and others—could feel the overwhelming emotions contained within the Nightmare’s strike:

Hatred. Violence. Anger. Greed.

Rather than the desperate attack of a mere beast, it felt more like the physical manifestation of pure malice and greed.

“This… this feels like frost biting into my very soul,” Rebecca murmured.

Rebecca was a gunslinger. Her sensitivity to magical energy wasn’t on par with professional mages like Leon.

Yet even she couldn’t ignore the sheer intensity of the energy.

Her body felt numb from head to toe, and beads of cold sweat slid imperceptibly down her temple.

Nearby, Nacho and Martin wore equally grim expressions.

“I’ve never seen an attack like this…” Martin admitted, his voice heavy. “It’s nothing like the oppressive presence of the Dragon Kings. This is completely—”

Nacho interjected, providing the answer, “The darkness of human nature and primal desire. The betrayal faced by the Dagger Trio at the hands of Kant, the fusion experiments that turned sentient Dangerous Beasts into monsters… all traces of their consciousness are gone. What remains of their souls is nothing but rage toward the world.”

“Then what about Captain and the others—”

“If they’ve chosen to face this head-on, it means they’re confident they can deal with it.”

Nacho sighed. “A battle of this magnitude—there’s nothing we can do to help.”

---

The overwhelming power and menacing terror of the Primordial Nightmare could be sensed by anyone. But—

How could the Silver Dragon Queen possibly be daunted by such chaotic and disordered monstrosity?

Seven-colored light spilled from her fingers and flowed brilliantly. She seized the opportune moment and launched **Soul Judgment** directly at the oncoming beam of energy.

The two titanic forces collided.

In an instant, the air erupted into chaos as gusting winds howled and the skies changed color.

Violent bursts of energy exploded outward, scattering debris that battered incessantly against Leon’s Void Shadow.

Fortunately, Leon had earlier directed the Lionheart Association to aid in evacuating civilians. Without this precaution, the consequences of such a fierce clash of energy would have been catastrophic.

The Primordial Nightmare continued injecting energy into its beam. Its strength derived from the Dagger Trio’s distorted Primordial Power, as well as the darkness and greed lurking deep in their human souls.

From a certain perspective, the Primordial Nightmare surpassed every adversary Leon had ever faced—both in raw power and relentless persistence.

And this was precisely why Queen Elizabeth felt victory was within her grasp.

“Leon seeking allies shows he suspected we still had cards up our sleeve,” she stated calmly. “And he was absolutely correct. But he’ll never comprehend just how far beyond his imagination our trump cards lay.”

Watching the Nightmare’s immense power, Kant visibly relaxed and wiped sweat from his brow. Gloating, he smirked. “The Black Dragon Scale bestowed upon us by ‘Shadow Master’ is truly formidable. It serves as a fitting lesson for Leon before his death, teaching him the meaning of ‘there’s always someone stronger.’”

Elizabeth glanced sidelong at Kant, her tone layered with hidden meaning as she said, “In truth, the Black Dragon Scale isn’t the only trump card granted to us.”

“Oh? What other card do we have?”

Elizabeth withdrew her gaze from him, gently shaking her head. “Let’s keep it a secret for now—though frankly, I doubt we’ll even need to use it.”

Kant chose not to press her further, returning his attention to the battlefield below.

---

“RAAARRRGH!!—DIE! ALL OF YOU, DIE!!!”

The Nightmare’s guttural howl reverberated, shaking onlookers to their very bones.

The two colliding energies had yet to yield, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

“If this stalemate continues… Roswitha won’t hold out,” Leon murmured, unable to hide his growing concern.

**Soul Judgment** was a technique that consumed immense stamina. During practice, Roswitha had never attempted to sustain it on such an enormous scale.

As Leon feared, prolonging this battle could very well cost Roswitha the upper hand.

“You need to trust your wife, Leon,” Claudia calmly reassured him. “Her mastery of Soul Judgment already far exceeds what you’ve expected. And remember… the technique wasn’t designed for direct confrontation. Its true power lies in its unique effect: the stronger the opposing negative emotions, the greater the inflicted damage.”

Leon froze, the realization hitting him hard as memories resurfaced. He recalled this specific effect vividly.

After all, back when Roswitha needed a suitable target for practice, Leon had gone to great lengths to secure an enraged **Rampage Bull**—only for the bull to end up as ingredients for hotpot, rather than purging its soul of anger.

“If that’s the case, why is she still forcing herself to confront the Nightmare head-on? She’s clearly at a disadvantage!” he exclaimed.

“She’s waiting.”

“Waiting? Waiting for what?”

“For the perfect opportunity to unleash Soul Judgment’s full potential,” Claudia replied.

As she finished her words, her eyes lit up. “And it’s finally here!”

With the Nightmare continuing its energy output, its emotional darkness surged to unprecedented levels.

At last, a flash of light flickered in Roswitha’s silver eyes.

“You should’ve never made an enemy of us and our bond,” she said coldly.

The seven-colored brilliance of Soul Judgment erupted, piercing the confrontation in an instant.

The energy clash, which had been locked in balance, suddenly shifted. The holy light surged forward as though cutting through darkness itself—unstoppable and overwhelming.

“NO—NOOO!!”

A heart-wrenching scream was swallowed by the explosion of Soul Judgment.

Emerging flames illuminated the upper district, casting their glow across the Empire.

When the dust and debris settled, under the pale moonlight hung a radiant seven-colored rainbow.

A massive blackened corpse lay defeated before the Silver Dragon Queen. Though she panted heavily to catch her breath, she straightened herself just as quickly.

But before she could deliver a triumphant victory speech befitting a queen, rapid footsteps sounded behind her.

She turned instinctively, barely able to react before Leon grabbed her in a crushing hug.

“Wife, if I’d known you were this incredible, why would I have bothered finding help? We could’ve destroy the Empire, just the two of us!” Leon exclaimed as he clung to her.

Having just unleashed her ultimate move, Roswitha was thoroughly worn out. Resigned to her exhaustion, she couldn’t summon the strength to fight back against this “childish” act of affection.

She gazed at Leon with eyes that seemed filled with gentle feeling, almost like an older sister indulging her younger sibling.

“I can’t let you have the spotlight all the time. It’s my turn now,” she replied with a sly smile.

Roswitha was right. If there were an MVP award for this war against the Empire, so far, it was undoubtedly hers.

“Sis-in-law! Wow, you were absolutely fantastic!”

Not far away, Rebecca sprinted toward them with a sniper rifle clutched in her hands, followed closely by Nacho and Martin.

Only then did Roswitha reluctantly pry herself free from Leon’s hug. She cast her gaze down toward the girl and asked with a teasing smile, “Oh? Then tell me, who do you think is more handsome, me or your captain?”

“Of course, you’re cooler, sis-in-law!”

“I think so.”

“Hehe!”

Claudia stood off to the side, watching the scene with a gratified expression. While a cheerful, happy ending like this didn’t quite align with the original intent of literary creation, who cared? A conclusion that the audience loved was ultimately a good conclusion!

Meanwhile, Old Constantine was still running—

Oh, he had arrived.

“Is it over?” Constantine asked Claudia after missing the final battle.

“Yes, it’s over.”

Claudia tilted her chin toward the corpse of the Primordial Nightmare. “The Silver Dragon Queen finished it off with just one move.”

Constantine blinked in surprise. “Defeated in a single move?”

“Mhm.”

Constantine furrowed his brows slightly, pondering for a moment before murmuring, “Could the Empire still have a backup plan?”

Leon: (→_→)

The Queen: (→_→)

Claudia: (→_→)

Constantine blinked and then shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, I’m not trying to jinx it.”

...

Thud—

The defeat of the Primordial Nightmare seemed to be the final straw that broke the camel's back. Unable to bear the weight of his despair any longer, Kant collapsed to his knees on the deck of the landship.

“It’s over… It’s all over... ‘The Shadow’ won’t let us go...”

He swallowed hard. In his panic, it was as though a thought struck him, and he suddenly looked up at Elizabeth. “Wait! Didn’t you say earlier that the Shadow gave us another trump card? What is it? Hurry up and bring it out!”

Elizabeth folded her arms, looking down at him coldly with a side glance. She asked with an emotionless voice, “Do you truly want to know?”

“Of course! What kind of question is that? Do you want to die at the hands of the Shadow or those idiotic citizens?! Whatever it is, just bring it out immediately!”

“Alright, follow me.”

With that, Elizabeth began walking toward the bow of the landship.

King Kant scrambled to his feet and quickly followed after her.

Once they reached the bow, Elizabeth cast her gaze downward.

Below, Leon and the others were joking and teasing one another.

“The Shadow commands who die, and they must die. Leon.”

Kant, now standing at the bow, also lowered his gaze. But aside from Leon and the others, along with the corpse of the Primordial Nightmare, he saw nothing else.

“And? Where’s the trump card? I—”

Before Canter could finish his sentence, Elizabeth silently stepped behind him.

She placed her hands against his bloated waist and pushed him over the edge of the landship!

“Elizabeth!!—”

His enraged roar grew fainter and fainter as he fell.

Elizabeth calmly stepped back to the bow, looking down at Kant, who had plunged into the remains of the Primordial Nightmare.

“You,” she said in an icy voice devoid of a trace of marital affection, “are the Shadow’s final trump card for me.”

“The Dagger Trio has already sacrificed themselves for the Empire. Now… it’s time for you to make your sacrifice.”

“Elizabeth... How could—how could you do this to me?! I—don’t, don’t come any closer! Stay away from me! Get away!!”

After Kant landed in the pool of black sludge, countless writhing tentacles reached out toward him. In the blink of an eye, they pulled him entirely into the corpse of the Primordial Nightmare.

The queen on the landship watched coldly as it all unfolded. Under her breath, she murmured, “It seems the Empire must be abandoned, Lord Shadow.”

...

“Hey, it looks like something fell off the landship.”

Rebecca squinted at the blackened corpse ahead, her sharp eyes narrowing as she scrutinized it carefully. “Is that thing… still moving?”

Hearing this, Leon and the others turned their eyes toward the direction she was pointing.

Indeed, the Primordial Nightmare, which should have been entirely lifeless, was moving.

Was it a final death throe?

Or something else...

As their doubts lingered, Rebecca’s peripheral vision caught movement near her feet. She noticed remnants of her shattered Recording Stone slowly being absorbed by a small cluster of tentacles splitting off from the Primordial Nightmare.

Startled, the wild young girl quickly backpedaled a few steps, chambered a round in her sniper rifle, and aimed before squeezing the trigger.

The magical bullet struck the target with precision, but it caused no harm.

Instead, the bullet itself was absorbed by the tentacle!

“H-How is that possible?!”

She stood frozen with shock, only to be abruptly swept off her feet by Martin, who carried her and dashed away.

Constantine also sensed the looming threat. In an instant, he vaulted onto the low roof of a nearby structure.

Claudia spread her dragon wings and ascended into the sky, dodging the black tendrils creeping outward.

Roswitha, too, flew into the air, carrying Leon with her.

From above, Leon witnessed firsthand what the black monstrosity was attempting to do.

Its ever-extending tentacles stretched outward, absorbing everything in their path—broken rubble, remnants of the Recording Stones, organic and inorganic matter all alike. Everything was assimilated, becoming part of the Primordial Nightmare.

As it devoured more and more, its form grew continuously larger.

At that moment, the Primordial Nightmare resembled nothing so much as a massive black octopus, endlessly consuming everything within sight with its writhing tentacles.

...

“Did I just see Kant fell into that monster’s corpse?”

“This wretched kingdom has finally descended into what everyone feared most.”

“Why isn’t that thing dead yet? It looks like it’s still devouring its surroundings!”

“...”

Through the resonance arrays of the Recording Stones, the grotesque transformation in Upper District was broadcast in real time to every corner of the Empire.

The changes taking place as Kant merged with the Primordial Nightmare sent chills up everyone’s spines.

In just a matter of seconds, half of the Upper District had been completely swallowed by the black monstrosity.

Outside the Casmode Orphanage, a small girl clung tightly to Caroline.

“Teacher Caroline… I’m scared...”

That eerie sensation of primal fear likewise seeped into Caroline’s heart, but she forced herself to stay strong. She had children to care for.

“It’s alright... Everything’s going to be alright...”

“Big brother Leon… Big brother Leon will definitely defeat it! I know he will!”

Though terrified herself, young nun Sharon showed no signs of backing down or despairing.

She knew that as long as Leon stood tall, there was still hope.

“Leon… You can do it; I know you can do it.”

Caroline stared at the man displayed on the Recording Stone’s projection, silently praying for him in her heart.

...

“If we let it keep devouring like this, the entire Empire will be gone before the night is over.”

Constantine spoke while releasing a powerful blast of Dragon Flame toward the monster below.

The attack evaporated against the mass of writhing black tendrils.

Moments later, the Primordial Nightmare's body expanded significantly.

Its rough, black skin began to shift into a dark crimson hue. Suddenly, its surface erupted with a high-intensity fireball.

Fortunately, its attacks were slow enough to dodge easily, and those in the air, including Leon, evaded without trouble.

“Magical attacks are also being absorbed, only to be used as counterattacks.”

Claudia analyzed quickly. “That means we can’t use anything containing magical energy against it. That will just make it stronger.”

“What about Primordial Power?” Roswitha inquired.

“That likely won’t work either. The bodies of the Dagger Trio are still part of this thing, so it probably has resistance and the ability to absorb Primordial Power.”

No magic worked, no Primordial Power worked either.

For a moment, it seemed like a hopeless situation.

After a pause, Leon suddenly spoke up.

“I have another way. But this… will truly be my final move.”

The three Dragons turned to look at him in unison.

“You don’t mean...”

“Yes. If no magical attacks can work, then there’s no choice but to rely on the most primitive physical combat.”

Leon glanced at Constantine. “This move… I was originally saving it for you, Constantine.”

The older dragon blinked in confusion. “For me?”

“Yes.”

Leon’s gaze shifted back to the growing monstrosity below.

“But the situation is urgent now, so I’ll have to unveil this surprise early.”

“Roswitha, lower me onto the battlefield, then take Rebecca and the others to a safe area. I’ll handle this alone.”

The queen frowned. “You’re playing the hero again.”

“No, it’s not about playing the hero. It’s just that if you all stay here, I can’t fight effectively.”

Roswitha continued glaring at him.

After locking eyes with his wife for a brief moment, Leon quickly admitted defeat.

“Alright, fine, I’ll admit it. Maybe there’s a tiny hint of heroics involved. But trust me, I’ll be fine.”

“Hand it over to me” and “I’ll be fine” were always the phrases Leon used to reassure those around him in times of crisis.

Though this idiot was childish, dramatic, and a sucker for playing the hero, every time he said “Trust me,” no one questioned or hesitated further.

“You’d better come back safe, Leon.”

“Of course. Our daughters are still waiting for us to come home.”

Roswitha nodded and slowly descended, placing Leon in an open space on the street. She then retreated with Rebecca and the others to a safer distance.

They landed atop a tall building, far enough from the battlefield below that the Primordial Nightmare’s tentacles could not yet reach them.

Claudia walked slowly to the edge of the skyscraper, gazing out at the war-torn upper district shrouded in flames and smoke.

“He’s going to use the Nine Hells Gate, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“All nine gates?”

“Yes.”

“But he’s not of the Dragon Clan. Without the Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale, forcing the ninth gate open will cause the immense backlash of energy to destroy his heart in an instant.”

Claudia knew better than anyone the consequences of opening the ninth gate; after all, the ancient text of *Nine Hells Gate* had been organized by her and later handed over to Leon by his master.

Even Claudia, who possessed the Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale, had only managed to reach the eighth gate. Opening the ninth gate did not rely solely on effort—it demanded unparalleled talent above all else.

“Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale…”

Silver strands of her hair gently brushed against her cheek as Roswitha gazed at the dark silhouette in the distance. Her lips curved into an unconscious smile.

“He has it.”

“What—”

Claudia looked briefly stunned, but realization dawned on her almost instantly. “So that’s it. He survived back then thanks to *your* Heart-Guarding Dragon Scale.”

“Exactly... And because of that, he will win. He will definitely win.”

Claudia heaved a soft sigh, momentarily reminded of her lovesick younger sister.

But now wasn’t the time for idle reminiscing.

Shifting her gaze back to the battlefield, she focused on Leon, who had begun activating the Nine Hells Gate.

“Blood Boil, Bone Surge, Divine Speed, Star Drive, Sun Chaser.”

“From the second gate to the sixth gate, these five techniques drastically enhance the user’s physical abilities, serving as both augmentation and offensive skills.”

“But the seventh and eighth gates aren’t meant for attacks.”

“The Seventh Gate, Dusk’s Aegis, and the Eighth Gate, Dawn’s Rebirth—one is for defense, while the other rapidly repairs physical damage sustained by the user.”

“These two techniques exist solely as preparation for the ninth gate.”

“Because once the ninth gate is opened, the energy backlash will ravage the user’s body. That’s where Dusk’s Aegis and Dawn’s Rebirth come into play, providing some degree of mitigation.”

“But even then, almost every practitioner stops at the eighth gate.”

“Some are held back by their lack of talent, while others simply don’t dare gamble their lives on that final, sacrificial strike.”

“And now, Leon, who isn’t even of the Dragon Clan, dares to open the ninth gate? How truly intriguing.”

Claudia exhaled deeply, her eyes fixed on Leon as he prepared to unleash the full power of the ninth gate. She continued in a calm tone,

“The final page of the *Nine Hells Gate* reads as follows:”

Across the battlefield in the distance, the lone figure of a man stood resolute, unmoving, as though he were an immovable god of war.

“After traversing the nine layers of hell, all things return to nothingness. The gates of heaven lie within reach—”

Red steam began to rise slowly from beneath his skin, as though his very blood had transformed into molten crimson lava. His veins glowed with heat, and even the lightning surrounding him seemed like an old friend, loyally accompanying him in this pivotal moment.

“When twilight fades, and dawn-light perishes—”

He crouched slightly, his posture resembling that of a lion preparing to pounce on its prey.

Sensing Leon’s mounting power, the Prime Nightmare lashed out with colossal, sky-darkening tendrils aimed straight at him.

Leon had been waiting for this precise moment.

He kicked off the ground with his right foot, launching himself forward like a thunderbolt. Power surged violently around him, a devastating force that seemed poised to obliterate everything in its path.

“The endless night is his only armor—”

Blood-red steam condensed and formed into the image of a roaring lion, charging ferociously at the horrifying beast before him.

“And so, the Ninth Gate of the Nine Hells—the technique shall be named—”

The lion’s roar thundered through the heavens, shaking the very fabric of existence.

“Night Armor!!”