Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

A raging wave of fire surged toward Leon, its overwhelming momentum so terrifying that even Rebecca and the others, watching from afar, were struck with fear.
"Captain!!"

Rebecca’s cry was swallowed by the roaring heatwave, which knocked her back several steps. She almost fell, but Martin managed to catch her in time.
"Are you okay, Rebecca?" Martin asked, concern in his voice.
"I’m fine," she said quickly, steadying herself. Her green eyes trembled as she looked toward the fiery chaos, filled with worry. "The captain... he’ll be okay, right?"

Above them, Elia’s mocking laughter rang out.
"Ha! As much as I’d love to see your captain reduced to ashes, if he could be killed in such a pitiful state, Madam Shadow wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble."
Rebecca gritted her teeth in frustration and fired two rounds at Elia, but they were effortlessly blocked by the Scaled Crows circling above.

"Shut up, you witch!" Rebecca shouted.
Elia smirked, unfazed. "You brat. I’ll toss you into the lava next."
At that moment, a sharp crack of thunder echoed through the firestorm. Rebecca turned, her eyes widening in relief as she saw a blue figure leap out of the flames, surrounded by a protective lightning skeleton. The blazing inferno had not harmed him.

"Captain..." Rebecca exhaled, her tension easing.
Leon flipped through the air and landed lightly, bending his knees to absorb the impact. The skeletal framework of the Shadow of Sumeru dissipated as he stood tall, his expression cold and unreadable as he stared down the Flame Demon.
"Dragon’s End was neutralized, and the Shadow of Sumeru drains too much mana. Who knows what other tricks Elia has up her sleeve," he thought.

This wasn’t the kind of battle where Leon could recklessly exhaust his mana reserves. In a duel like this, every ounce of energy was critical. He recalled his fight with Odin in Sky City, where his final attack had left him unconscious, waking up only because Rosvisser had been there to care for him.
But now, if he overexerted himself, Leon was certain that there would be no comforting face waiting for him. Instead, he might not wake up at all.
"Magic isn’t my advantage here. In that case..."

Leon suppressed his mana flow, his eyes narrowing. Slowly, he closed them, his expression growing detached and serene.
Around him, a faint white glow began to shimmer, as if the world’s fundamental truths were revealing themselves to him.
"Supersense..."

Elia’s smile faltered as she muttered, "Madam Shadow was right. Once you enter Supersense, you’re a nightmare to deal with."
This was only Leon’s second time using Supersense, and while it came more easily now, the strain it placed on his body was undeniable.
Leon glanced at his hand, flexing his fingers. "I’m still not skilled enough. No wonder there are side effects."
The Flame Demon roared, sensing the rising threat. It charged at Leon, its massive form engulfed in flames.

Leon opened his eyes, his voice a low murmur. "I’ll end this before my body gives out."
The fiery beast barreled toward him, swinging its enormous horn like a hammer. Its movements were clumsy but devastatingly powerful.
Leon sidestepped, the horn narrowly grazing his chest as it slammed into the ground, embedding itself deeply.

As the Flame Demon struggled to pull its horn free, Leon stomped down on it, pinning the creature in place.
The monstrous beast thrashed violently, trying to free itself, but Leon seized the opportunity, delivering three crushing punches to its head.
The Flame Demon staggered back, dazed, but Leon’s fists burned from the intense heat. He glanced at his scorched knuckles, the skin blistered.

"Fire this refined is a nightmare to deal with," he muttered, his tone tinged with frustration.
Summoning a violet glow, Leon activated Nine Hells: Eighth Gate, Rebirth Twilight, enveloping his fists in protective energy.
"At least now I won’t burn my hands every time I hit it," he noted, launching back into the fray.

The Flame Demon attempted to fortify its fiery defenses, but Leon pressed his advantage, raining punches down relentlessly.
A sharp crack echoed as one of the creature’s massive horns snapped off, flying through the air. The Flame Demon collapsed, its flames flickering and fading.
Even as the creature lay motionless, Leon delivered a final punch to its head, ensuring it wouldn’t rise again.

Rebecca smirked, kicking a Scaled Crow into another midair. "What Flame Demon? The captain just beat it down like nothing."
Leon nudged the defeated monster with °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° his foot, sending it sliding toward Elia.
"Sorry about your pet," he said mockingly. "Maybe now you can move on to your Infernal Fire Plan or whatever it’s called. Care to share the details before you start?"

Elia’s expression remained calm. "You think it’s over because you killed it, Leon? I told you—Madam Shadow put a lot of effort into making sure you’d die here."
Leon’s eyes narrowed. "What...?"
Before he could react, the ground beneath the Flame Demon cracked open, magma bubbling to the surface.

The molten lava flowed toward the creature, its body absorbing the fiery substance like a sponge.
In his heightened state, Leon could feel the Flame Demon reviving, its energy growing stronger with each passing moment.
Within moments, it stood tall once more, its severed horn fully regrown.

"This thing just doesn’t stay down..." Leon gritted his teeth, launching into another assault.
But even as his punches landed with devastating force, the Flame Demon’s wounds healed almost instantly, its body sustained by the endless flow of magma.
Elia’s voice rang out, smug and triumphant. "See? It’s unbeatable. It can burn away your magic, outlast your stamina, and keep reviving endlessly. Face it, Leon—you’ve already lost."

Leon clenched his fists, his frustration mounting.
"You have two choices," Elia continued. "Activate the final stage of the Shadow of Sumeru and obliterate everything here—including your precious guild members—or surrender and let me kill you quickly."
Leon ignored her taunts, focusing instead on the battle. But as he prepared to attack again, a new threat emerged.

From behind him, a swarm of Scaled Crows swooped down. He braced for impact, but the birds flew past him, their skeletal bodies breaking apart and merging with the Flame Demon.
The creature’s form shifted, sprouting enormous black wings.
Leon’s heart sank. "This is bad..."

Elia cackled. "See, Leon? This is the creature designed to kill you. It’s perfect!"
Despite his exhaustion, Leon steadied himself for another round, but his body betrayed him. Pain wracked his limbs, and he coughed up blood, collapsing to one knee.
Elia grinned. "Looks like you’re out of time. Flame Demon, finish him!"

The monstrous beast grabbed Leon, lifting him into the air as it flew toward the volcano’s molten heart.
The searing heat blinded him, and he struggled in vain to gather his strength.
"Is this really... the end?" he thought, his mind clouded with regret. "Rosvisser... I’m sorry..."

Just as he was about to give in, a sharp cry pierced the air.
A massive shadow streaked across the sky, heading straight for him.
At the last moment, before Leon could plummet into the lava, the figure caught him, its cool presence a stark contrast to the surrounding heat.

Leon forced his eyes open, staring in disbelief at the creature that had saved him.
"A... Six-Winged Dragonhawk?"