A deep shadow crept across Dominic's face.
I underestimated him… I underestimated Lee Seong-jun far too much.
He had believed himself on equal footing with the Blood Demon, dismissing the man as just another overpowered returnee. That arrogance had led him to act on his own—and now, because of that mistake, Chairman Leopold himself had been forced into displeasure.
For Dominic, who served as Leopold's right hand in managing the World Returnees' Association, that was nothing short of a death sentence.
"I… I was wrong, Chairman. Forgive me," Dominic stammered, bowing so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor.
But Leopold only stared down at him, his voice calm and cutting.
"You are mistaken."
"Sir?"
"The only reason you're still alive," Leopold said coldly, "is because I chose not to act."
Dominic froze. The Chairman's brow furrowed slightly, as if recalling a distant irritation.
That brief, invisible clash of minds through Solitude—the psychic tether that bound his subordinates—had been enough to tell him everything.
The connection was severed in an instant. Both of them, at once.
That wasn't a desperate struggle. It was precision. Control. Leisure.
Leopold's lips tightened. So, he removed two Solitudes simultaneously… without breaking a sweat.
"Lee Seong-jun," he murmured. "You are not like the others."
An unexpected variable—a powerful enemy—had appeared. But Leopold did not panic. He never did.
He had faced obstacles before and conquered them all.
"This will be no different," he said to himself, his expression returning to icy composure.
He had spent years away from the public eye, not out of weakness, but out of purpose. During his absence, he had sought and acquired new power—a power that now burned in his veins like living lightning.
"Now that I possess what I sought," he whispered, "there's nothing I cannot overcome."
A thin smile curved across his face.
"I'll meet Lee Seong-jun myself," he declared, rising from his seat. "And this time, I'll end it."
But before he could leave, a quiet voice broke the tension.
"Chairman…"
Frederick stepped forward, his tone measured and respectful. "I have a suggestion. A plan, if you'd allow me to speak."
Though Leopold disliked being interrupted, Frederick's strategic insight had earned him the Chairman's rare patience.
"…Very well," Leopold said at last. "Speak."
Frederick's lips curled slightly. "Thank you, sir. I believe there's a way to meet him… on our terms."
As he laid out his strategy, a shadowed grin touched Leopold's mouth.
The following night, a pillar of blue mana burst open near the Association's remote headquarters.
From within the light, Lee Seong-jun stepped out, his cloak snapping in the wind.
'Teleportation,' he thought, glancing around. 'Convenient indeed.'
Anna's magic had delivered him straight into enemy territory. The sprawling compound of the World Returnees' Association lay ahead—isolated deep in the wilderness, far from any civilian presence.
"Perfect," he murmured. "No distractions… no limits."
This would be a battlefield free of restraint.
He rose into the air, surveying the fortress below. Its black towers stretched upward like fangs. Surrounding it were hundreds—perhaps thousands—of returnees standing in rigid formation.
"You've prepared well," he said quietly, his eyes glinting.
From among the soldiers, a calm, mocking voice replied, "Just as much as needed."
Frederick emerged from the front line, hands clasped behind his back.
"You know this is pointless, don't you?" Seong-jun said flatly.
Frederick only smiled in response.
The Blood Demon's crimson gaze swept over the gathered army. He knew what this was—an illusion of strength. Even ten thousand bodies couldn't touch him. And yet, he couldn't ignore the sight before him.
There was a purpose behind this spectacle.
Still, he dismissed the thought. "No matter. It changes nothing."
Descending slowly, he called out across the field, his voice ringing like a blade's edge.
"Step back."
All eyes turned toward him.
"You may know who I am," he said, "but I don't know any of you. You were never worth remembering."
A ripple of rage passed through the ranks, but he went on, unbothered.
"So I'll make this simple. I don't have time to decide who deserves to live or die. If you wish to live—leave now. Otherwise, I'll consider you already dead."
The air crackled with tension. No one moved.
Seong-jun sighed softly. "So be it."
"Kill him."
"Kill Lee Seong-jun!"
The army's eyes turned blood-red as one. Veins bulged, their pupils dilated—until not a trace of reason remained.
Seong-jun's expression hardened. "So… they were consumed completely."
He could sense it—inside each of them was a massive, pulsating Solitude, devouring their minds and souls from within. They weren't people anymore. They were Leopold's puppets.
"Even living, they're already dead," he muttered.
His fist clenched. "Then I'll give them peace."
Bang!
The ground shattered as he struck. Blood energy surged outward, crushing the front line instantly. Dozens fell before they even realized what had happened.
Yet more came—mindless, howling, each radiating twisted energy.
"Die! DIE!"
They rushed from all sides, bodies crackling with unnatural light.
Seong-jun's gaze turned icy.
So that's it… you've even erased their humanity.
He had met monsters before—had been called one himself—but this was different. Leopold didn't see his followers as comrades or tools. They were fuel.
"I'll make sure you pay for every drop of their blood."
Crimson light gathered in Seong-jun's palm, coalescing into a glowing sphere that pulsed with heat.
He raised his hand.
"Burn."
A roar split the night.
Flames burst forth, sweeping the battlefield in a tidal wave of scarlet fire. Screams echoed briefly—then silence. Hundreds of returnees vanished into ash and light, leaving only scorched earth behind.
When the flames died, the survivors staggered back, trembling.
Though their minds were gone, instinct remained. They knew death when they saw it. The path cleared, revealing the figures standing behind them—Leopold and his executives.
"Come down," Seong-jun said coldly, locking eyes with the masked man at the rear.
He didn't need confirmation. The oppressive aura rolling off the figure was unmistakable.
"Chairman Leopold."
For a moment, the air between them quivered—an invisible collision of will and power.
Then Leopold's voice, smooth and mocking, broke the silence.
"Frederick," he said, "it seems your judgment was correct."
A faint smile curved beneath the mask. "If I'd faced you head-on tonight, it would have been… troublesome."
Behind him, space twisted. A jagged, glowing crack spread open like a blue wound in reality.
"I'd love to test your strength properly," Leopold said, his voice echoing through the distortion, "but not tonight. We'll meet again soon… and when we do, we'll both fight with everything we have."
And with that, he vanished—along with every remaining executive.
Frederick exhaled shakily once the teleportation ended. The memory of that crimson inferno still seared behind his eyes.
That monster…
He had barely maintained his composure, but in truth, his entire body had been trembling.
Still, fear didn't cloud his conviction—it strengthened it.
My plan was right.
He didn't think Leopold would fall, but even victory would come at a heavy price.
"The cause must be delayed," he thought grimly. "But not abandoned."
Humanity was weak, blind, and ignorant of the truth beyond the veil. To awaken it, someone had to break the false peace—even by force.
That was why he had convinced Leopold to withdraw and redirect their efforts toward Korea—the heart of Gaia's Axis.
And as the blue light of teleportation faded, they found themselves before three figures waiting on the defense line.
Baek Mu-jin stood at the front, flanked by Julian and Theodore.
"You came sooner than expected," Baek said, his voice calm but firm.
"It won't matter," Leopold replied, his tone sharp as ice.
"Clean them up."
At his command, the World Returnees' executives surged forward like shadows.
"Come!" Baek roared. "You won't take a single step past this point!"
Julian and Theodore joined him, their energies flaring bright against the encroaching darkness—
And the clash began.