"Bow Hero Luna, are you inside? I have sothing important to report!"
The voice imdiately startled both Albert and Luna. They exchanged confused glances, silently wondering what was happening.
"I'm inside; co in," Luna replied casually, her gaze fixed on the door.
*Clack!*
Monts later, the wooden door swung open, revealing Kaelen in black armor. Panic flashed across his face as he stepped inside.
Luna, initially surprised, soon smiled softly.
"Your na is Kaelen, isn't it? What can I do for you?" She asked in a nonchalant tone, though a hint of kindness flickered in her typically cold eyes.
Kaelen's na had co up in one of Leon's stories. He had ntioned that Kaelen was his personal assistant in the Demon army and asked her to treat him kindly.
Moreover, Kaelen's bravery during the battle against the strange monsters that erged from the sand last night had left a strong impression on Luna. Because of that, she couldn't help but show him a warr deanor than she typically reserved for others.
The mont Kaelen saw Luna and heard her voice, his body tensed, a slight tremor running through him. His face turned ghostly pale, like soone who had just lost a great deal of blood.
Although he had mustered all his courage, an overwhelming fear of Luna remained. After all, she was one of the three heroes, and to a demon like him, she embodied the very essence of terror. The thought of Demon Emperors falling into the hands of heroes sent a chill down his spine.
Noticing Kaelen's pale complexion and tense posture, Luna's confusion was evident.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so silent?" she asked, her tone hesitant.
Kaelen imdiately snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath to calm down.
"Apologies for my rudeness, Bow Hero Luna," Kaelen said respectfully, though his fear was still apparent.
Luna observed him closely but said nothing, simply nodding.
"So, what brings you here? What do you need?" she asked casually, sipping her tea.
Kaelen raised his head, nervousness evident on his face, and explained, "I ca at General Leon's request, Bow Hero Luna. The general asked to deliver a ssage: You must take humanity's army as far away from this place as possible."
Luna's expression shifted to one of surprise as she processed the ssage.
"Leon wants to take humanity's army as far away from this place as possible? What's going on?" Luna asked, narrowing her eyes.
Hearing General Leon's na spoken so casually, Kaelen sensed a hint of intimacy in Luna's tone, making him curious about their relationship.
He quickly brushed aside the thought and responded, "There was a sneak attack on our camp earlier, launched by a mysterious figure. Thankfully, General Leon was able to repel the attack. He's now gone to investigate and asked to deliver his ssage to you."
Kaelen's explanation surprised not only Luna but also Albert, who exchanged a brief glance before nodding in understanding.
Luna's serious expression softened slightly as she turned back to Kaelen and said, "Thank you for informing , Kaelen."
Noticing Luna's complete lack of hostility and the kindness she had shown, Kaelen let out a sigh of relief, regaining his composure.
He gave a small nod and replied respectfully, "You're welco, Bow Hero Luna."
...
Four kiloters away from the demon army's encampnt, a flash of shadow zipped from one point to another with astonishing speed. Each ti it vanished, it reappeared several hundred ters farther. The shadow was none other than Leon.
"I sense a powerful aura about two kiloters ahead. That must be the source of the attack," Leon muttered indifferently.
Though the aura was strong, it posed no real threat to him. He didn't slow down; if anything, he quickened his pace. He was curious about who had the nerve to secretly attack the demon army's encampnt. If the attack had been intentional, Leon would show no rcy and swiftly send the perpetrator to et Hades.
After ten minutes, Leon felt himself drawing closer to the source of the aura. Soon, he spotted a black figure in the distance. With his eyes narrowed, Leon saw a figure cloaked entirely in black, standing still and facing him, as if waiting for his arrival.
"That powerful aura is coming from them... Does that an they were behind the sneak attack?" Leon whispered, his suspicion deepening.
He slowed his movents and stopped precisely two hundred ters from the black-cloaked figure. His gaze sharpened, filled with vigilance, as he stared intently at the black-cloaked figure.
"Who are you? Why did you launch the attack? What are your intentions?" Leon asked bluntly.
Though it sounded like a question, his tone was more of an assertion. Leon was certain the figure before him was the mastermind behind the attack. However, he still didn't know his opponent's motive and wanted to clarify it first.
The mysterious figure remained silent, unmoving, as though completely disregarding Leon's presence. A slight frown creased Leon's brow in displeasure, and chaos power began to gather around him.
"If you refuse to answer, don't bla for taking matters into my own hands," Leon warned coldly.
He drew his sword from its sheath, holding it in a threatening stance. Just as he was about to step forward, a chilling laugh echoed from the mysterious figure.
"Kukuku... I didn't expect you to actually co to . It seems what that damn man said was true," the cloaked figure said, slowly lifting his head.
However, with the hood shadowing their face up to the nose, Leon could only make out their mouth and chin. From the voice, he could also tell that the mysterious figure was male.
Leon narrowed his eyes, remaining vigilant, and asked coldly, "I will ask you once more: Who are you, and what is your purpose?"
The figure's deanor and earlier words made it clear he was waiting for his arrival. Although Leon didn't yet understand his purpose, he stayed calm, but his guard remained high.
A strange smile curled on the mysterious cloaked figure's lips as he heard Leon's question.
Raising his right hand, he pointed an index finger at Leon and replied in a calm, almost teasing tone, "My purpose, of course, is you—the Fated One."
Leon was montarily taken aback by the man's words, especially the ntion of "The Fated One."
It was important to note that few people in the world knew of the nickna "The Fated One" or Leon's true identity. Only a select few were aware: The Dragon Ancestor, Liliana, Athena, Miranda, and certain factions among the hidden races.
Yet the mysterious black-cloaked figure in front of him seed to know this, causing Leon to be taken aback and heightening his vigilance.
"Could he be from the hidden races?" Leon wondered cautiously.
Aside from the hidden races, he couldn't place the origin of this mysterious figure. After all, only those who had never t him in person yet already knew his identity as the Fated One could have such knowledge.
With that thought in mind, he studied the figure closely and asked, "Are you from the hidden races?"
The figure seed briefly surprised by the question before letting out a soft chuckle and shaking his head.
"Hidden races? No, you're mistaken, Fated One. I'm not from there," he said lightly, then continued, "I'm from the Temple of Twilight, and I am the seventh apostle, known by the code na 'Soul Eater.'"
"The Temple of Twilight? The seventh apostle?" Leon's surprise was evident as he furrowed his brow.
Throughout his life in this world, Leon had never encountered a force known as the Temple of Twilight or anyone holding the title of apostle.
"Could the Temple of Twilight be a heresy?" The thought crossed his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of conviction about it.
In this world, many beliefs existed, each worshiping different deities. However, these beliefs were generally weak, with most followers offering prayers only on certain days.
Of course, there were those who held their beliefs more dearly, establishing groups or churches to honor the deities they worshiped.
Often, so groups beco so fanatical about the deities they worship that they stray from the righteous path, and such groups are commonly referred to as followers of heresy.
Given the mysterious figure's claim of being an "apostle," Leon couldn't help but associate the Temple of Twilight with a heretical sect.
Shaking off his thoughts, Leon maintained his vigilance, letting the chaos power surge into the blade of his sword.
"Since you're after , does that an you intend to kill ?" Leon asked flatly.
The mysterious figure laughed, nodding casually.
"As expected of the Fated One. You are indeed very perceptive," he replied with a playful tone.
Leon chuckled coldly and said nothing more. With the mysterious figure having revealed his intentions, there was no need to waste ti on further conversation.
Positioning his sword to his right, Leon stepped back, then launched himself forward at incredible speed.
"Sky Technique: Phantom Slash!" Leon called out icily as he swung his sword at an angle.
*Whoosh!*
Two slashes infused with chaos power cut through the air toward the figure. The speed of the attack was so relentless that the mysterious figure had no chance to react, and his body was cleaved in an instant.
Dark, viscous blood poured from his body, soaking the sand beneath him.
Leon watched the scene in astonishnt and mild confusion. Initially, he had anticipated a challenging battle, but he hadn't expected such a simple strike to eliminate the mysterious figure so effortlessly.
"No, this must be a trick. I sense this figure won't die so easily," Leon muttered, his guard still raised.
Just as he spoke, sothing unexpected happened. The figure's dismbered body began to move. Strange tentacles erged from the torn flesh and hooked together. In the blink of an eye, the figure's body reassembled, and he stood tall once more, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"That was a powerful attack, but not enough."
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