The simple lodging room in the city felt stifling with the smell of blood. Leon carefully laid Marcus's helpless body on the bed. A few minutes later, Zenless entered with an elderly physician who immediately began examining the horrific wounds.
"Please, Your Majesty, and Sir. Wait outside," the physician requested authoritatively without turning around.
The two of them exited, leaving Marcus in the physician's care. In the quiet corridor, Leon's heart was filled with anxiety.
"Your Majesty, what do you think happened to Lord Marcus?" asked Leon, his voice a whisper full of worry.
Zenless frowned, his mind working quickly. "Most likely, they were ambushed by K'tharrh's troops... or even by K'tharrh itself. The power required to injure Marcus and eliminate our four strong guards must be tremendous."
In the middle of their conversation, the sound of hurried footsteps and panting breaths suddenly echoed. A Nexus soldier, his armor shattered and stained with blood, stumbled into the lodging. His face was pale, his eyes full of fear.
"Your Majesty... Lord Zero..." he groaned, nearly collapsing.
Leon and Zenless immediately approached and supported him.
"What happened?!" Zenless asked sternly.
"Ne... Nexus... has been attacked!" the soldier uttered with difficulty.
"By nine people...incredibly strong! They destroyed everything!"
"Nine people?" repeated Zenless, his eyes narrowing.
"What do they look like?"
The soldier took a deep breath, trying to remember. "The first one... golden hair. Looked wise, calm, like a leader. The second... neon green hair with purple accents. Cunning, patient, but deadly. The third... pale blue hair. Calm, cold, emotionless. The fourth... flaming red hair with orange. Aggressive, impulsive, like a destroyer. The fifth... metallic gray hair. Strong, silent, protective. The sixth... indigo hair. Mysterious, likes to whisper, manipulative. The seventh... bright yellow hair. Wild, unpredictable, energetic. The eighth... dark brown hair. Patient, connected to the earth, strong. And the ninth... white hair. Noble, authoritative, seemed kind... but he's not at all!"
Upon hearing the final description, Zenless's face suddenly turned pale. Cold sweat poured from his temples. He immediately stood up straight, his expression changing instantly.
"Zero! Return to Nexus, now! Quickly!" ordered Zenless in a tone that brooked no argument.
Leon was shocked by the dramatic reaction. He had never seen Zenless so terrified. Without daring to ask further, Leon nodded obediently and immediately shot out of the lodging, leaving Zenless and the soldier, who finally fainted from exhaustion.
---
At full speed, Leon headed for Nexus. However, the sight that greeted him made his blood boil.
The first gate was completely destroyed. Its walls were breached, the lifeless bodies of demon soldiers lay scattered everywhere. An eerie and silent atmosphere, only the wind rustling, carrying the smell of iron and ash. Leon continued his run. The second gate was no better. There was even more destruction, but no signs of an ongoing battle. A frightening silence.
He arrived at the third gate. His heart almost stopped.
The scene before him was a nightmare. His comrades—Water Master, Keen Observer, Mysterious X, Deathblade Dancer—lay helpless, severely wounded, some not moving at all. But what made his anger explode was the sight in the middle of the courtyard.
Celestia, with a faint, fading consciousness, was being choked by a man with flaming red hair and orange accents. Her body hung weakly, the man's hand gripping her neck tightly.
As if sensing Leon's presence, Celestia opened her dim eyes. She looked towards Leon, and in those tortured seconds, a soft, resigned smile graced her lips before her head finally slumped, unconscious.
"YOU BASTARD!!!" Leon roared, his anger blinding his reason.
With unstoppable speed, Leon charged forward. The red-haired man didn't even have time to react before a powerful punch slammed into his cheek. THWACK! The man was sent flying far away and smashed into the wall, cracking it.
"Tch..."
"You dare,lowly demon, attack me!" snarled the man as he stood up, his face red with anger and shame. He shot back towards Leon, punching Leon's stomach with full force.
THUD! Leon was forced back a few steps, feeling a hot sensation in his throat and a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. But he didn't fall. Instead, his hand moved swiftly, gripping the man's wrist tightly.
"You think that hurts?" Leon growled, his eyes glowing red.
With tremendous strength, Leon swung the man's body and hurled him high into the air. Before the man could fall, Leon had already jumped up to meet him, raining down a rapid, hard barrage of punches on his body, like a meteor shower, before finally slamming him back to the ground with full force.
Leon stood upright, his breath slightly labored. He shifted his gaze from the man lying on the ground to the eight other figures who had only watched the spectacle calmly. They stood in a circle, with varied expressions, from impressed to indifferent.
"Who are you?!" Leon shouted, his voice thundering with fury.
"What is your purpose for coming here?!"
One of them, the mysterious-looking man with indigo hair, stepped forward slightly. He didn't speak, but a dark, suffocating aura suddenly filled the entire area. It was a primal fear, a piercing sense of alertness that could freeze even the bravest.
But Leon only hardened his resolve. The aura bounced off him. "You think I'd be intimidated by a weak aura like that?!"
The indigo-haired man smiled faintly, both impressed and malicious. "Interesting. It turns out there is a strong demon in this place after all."
Then, the one who seemed to be the leader, the wise and calm man with golden hair, spoke. His voice was calm yet full of authority, ending all the commotion.
"We," he said, his golden eyes looking straight at Leon, "are K'tharrh,The Hydra."
Leon gasped, his eyes widening. The man continued, "Our goal is simple: to destroy this city and this place, and to reclaim the territory taken from us."
Shock washed over Leon. All this time, he and everyone else thought K'tharrh The Hydra was a single terrifying creature. The reality he faced was far more frightening: it turned out to be nine individuals with tremendous power, each with unique personalities and abilities.
He now stood alone, surrounded by nine powerful enemies he had perhaps faced before, with his friends lying helpless. Cornered, Leon realized just how terrifying the opponents he had to face were.
=== CHAPTER 36 END ===