"Rumble—"
The deafening roar had persisted for an unknown duration within the mist-shrouded pocket dimension. The entire space trembled and swayed continuously, refusing to settle.
As time marched on, the battle between Leon and Cao Cao entered a white-hot phase, causing various phenomena to erupt across every corner of the dimension. Shockwaves, thunderous booms, explosive flames, flashes of lightning, and golden auras—diverse spectacles manifested, painting the space as if it were a battlefield of ancient gods, together composing an epic mythic struggle.
Bang!
Amidst a muffled explosion, Leon's silhouette was sent flying backward from a sweeping golden aura. Four pairs of devil wings flapped desperately behind his back to halt his retreat, revealing his somewhat battered appearance.
"Cough—!"
Leon couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of blood, which he wiped away with a single hand. His gaze remained pinned firmly on the figure ahead holding the Holy Spear.
By now, he had exhausted his repertoire and exerted his full strength, yet he was still pushed to this state by the man wielding the True Longinus.
"It seems I am one step ahead!"
The tip of Cao Cao's Holy Spear remained in its opened form, undulating with divine white flames. Looking at Leon, whom he had swept back with a single blow, he smiled briefly before spitting out a mouthful of blood himself.
Upon closer inspection, his condition was no better than Leon's. His hanfu was tattered, and blood trickled down his forehead. While not yet a heavy injury, it proved that in the fierce clash just now, he had gained no easy advantage.
"Your injuries look no better than mine. You call that being one step ahead?" Leon spoke sarcastically, earning a look of indifference from Cao Cao.
"It can't be helped. A human body is still too fragile. You, possessing the 'Zenith Tempest,' are no different from an incarnation of a natural disaster. Simply dodging your attacks is difficult enough; getting caught in the crossfire is inevitable. It's a regrettable necessity."
This wasn't a mere excuse. A human body was indeed fragile, with vitality far inferior to that of a devil. Facing a natural disaster with such a frame was already an incredible feat. That Cao Cao could contest it with only minor injuries was extraordinary.
Of course—
"We're in the same boat, aren't we?" Leon glanced at the Holy Spear in Cao Cao's hand. "As long as I am a devil, I cannot ignore the threat of that spear. A mere graze could leave me crippled. So, in terms of disadvantages, let's not point fingers."
The pressure Leon felt fighting Cao Cao was not a bit less than when he fought Miyamoto Musashi; in fact, it was arguably greater. In terms of pure power, Cao Cao might be slightly inferior to Musashi due to his human status, but his technique was in no way second to the other's. Combined with the strongest Longinus in his hand, Leon believed that even if Musashi himself were here, he would find it hard to gain an advantage.
Furthermore, Miyamoto Musashi didn't have a specific attribute that countered Leon, whereas Cao Cao's Holy Spear perfectly countered Leon's nature as a devil. Comparing the two, the pressure Cao Cao exerted was naturally higher. Had it not been for the opponent's obvious weakness—his fragile human frame—Leon didn't think his current self could have wounded him so.
And furthermore—
"I've realized something. You didn't come here just to say hello." Leon spoke calmly, as if he had already seen through Cao Cao.
"Saying hello might be true, but your real plan was to collect my combat data and intelligence, analyze the composition of my strength, and formulate a counter-strategy before our next meeting to deliver a thunderous strike, wasn't it?"
As these words were uttered, Cao Cao's eyes narrowed instantly. The look he gave Leon was no longer just filled with battle intent, but also a deep, calculating scrutiny.
"—You actually saw through that?" Cao Cao rested the Holy Spear on his shoulder, speaking with a tone of mixed helplessness and self-reflection. "That was unexpected. It seems our Hero Faction's evaluation of you was still too low, Leon Eligos"
"You made it too obvious." Leon showed no pride at the praise, speaking bluntly. "Throughout the entire fight, aside from that initial strike to provoke me, you've played every move as a counter. Every move felt like a deliberate probe or a push to force me to reveal more of my strength. You've acted like a paranoiac, insisting on breaking every one of my attacks before you'd stop."
"What benefit does head-on clashing bring you? It serves no purpose other than accelerating exhaustion!"
"But you don't look like someone who does useless work. Though you're far from your ancestor's level, since you carry the blood of a hero—no, a legendary conqueror—I'd rather believe you have a hidden motive than believe you're being inefficient."
If it were just that, Leon might not have been certain that Cao Cao was testing him and collecting data. But... who told him he was a transmigrator?
As someone who had read the original story, Leon knew exactly what kind of person the man before him was. To put it simply, though he was a human, his ambitions reached the heavens. He constantly called himself weak, yet he couldn't stand the thought of races weaker than humanity lording over them. To explore human limits, he wouldn't hesitate to provoke conflicts; he was a thoroughbred villain who feared a world without chaos.
In the original story, to defeat those he targeted, he caused various incidents. His favorite method was to probe the opponent first, gather comprehensive intelligence, devise a counter-strategy, and then strike only when he had absolute certainty of victory. This approach had caused many calamities and harmed several key figures.
Thus, Leon was certain the man was probing him to ensure a hundred-percent success rate the next time they clashed.
"Your group was also behind the attack by the Old Satan Faction. That must have been a part of the probing as well, right?" Leon threw out this topic. "Those man-made demonic beasts... the Hero Faction lent them to Old Satan Faction, didn't they?"
Leon was basically certain that those monsters were the work of the wielder of 'Annihilation Maker' According to the original lore, this high-tier Longinus currently belonged to the Hero Faction.
"And that labyrinth space... it must be the work of the same person who created this pocket dimension, right?"
Although the two dimensions were different in scale, could it be a coincidence that both attacks utilized sub-dimensional technology? While pocket dimensions weren't rare—devils, angels, and fallen angels all possessed the tech—they weren't common commodities. Average organizations, even with the tech, lacked the capacity to abuse them. Yet here they were, appearing twice in a row.
"If I'm not mistaken, this pocket dimension was created by the wielder of another high-tier Longinus—'Dimension Lost.'"
Ranked fourth among the Longinus, 'Dimension Lost' had the ability to release infinite mist, sealing anything within it and even sending them to other dimensions or forcibly transferring them to pocket spaces.
The previous attack by the Old Satan Faction had utilized forced transfer technology. Even if the wielder of 'Dimension Lost' hadn't acted personally, it didn't mean he hadn't had a hand in it.
To summarize, the incident where Lizevim attacked was not just the work of the Old Satan Faction, but the Hero Faction as well.
As for their goal—
"Confirming the movements of the Underworld by attacking the relatives of the Satans? Drawing the devil world's eyes toward the Old Satan Faction? Or perhaps disrupting the situation to cover up your next move? Or even better, trying to force a Satan to act personally to collect their intelligence?"
Leon pointed out the schemes one by one.
"Those were likely the goals. You just didn't expect me to be the possessor of the 'Zenith Tempest,' or that I'd somehow gained a subordinate with the 'Incinerate Anthem.' While becoming interested in me, you also viewed me as a potential threat. That's what prompted your visit today, isn't it?"
As Leon's analysis was laid bare, the smile that had been hanging on Cao Cao's face slowly faded away.
By the time Leon finished, Cao Cao was no longer smiling. Only a deep, penetrating gaze remained fixed on Leon, as if he were re-evaluating him and the value of his existence. It was a gaze full of sharp intensity.
Leon calmly met Cao Cao's stare, allowing the atmosphere to become oppressive and heavy.
After a long silence, Cao Cao spoke again.
"A brilliant analysis, and an exceptional judgment. Truly a man Sona Sitri holds in high regard." Cao Cao tapped his shoulder with the Holy Spear, speaking with an air of feigned helplessness. "I didn't expect to be seen through to this extent. Really... that sharp observation of yours might not be a bit weaker than the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels."
To their knowledge, only Azazel was currently capable of sensing their presence and seeing through their arrangements to react. In contrast, the devils and Heaven had been entirely unaware of their existence. Logically, Leon, being on the side of the devils, should have been the same, yet he displayed an overly familiar understanding of their side. This made Cao Cao suspect whether there was some hidden figure moving pieces behind the scenes.
"This makes things difficult," Cao Cao said with a sigh. "I really didn't plan on doing anything to you right now. After all, I don't know if I've seen all your tricks yet, and I'm not a hundred percent certain I can keep you here. If you were to suddenly explode with power you've never used before—like you did against Lizevim—I might end up being checkmated by you instead."
"But now, I'm a bit wary of your sharp insight and vision."
"Perhaps, I should try to leave you here forever, at any cost."
The look in Cao Cao's eyes turned cold, and he raised the Holy Spear once more. "It can't be helped. I'll have to show some real ability."
As he spoke, a staggering Sacred Gear fluctuation appeared from the Holy Spear in his hand. The fluctuation rippled out like an invisible wave, merging into and disrupting the very flow of the world itself.
Seeing this, Leon understood immediately. Cao Cao was truly getting serious.
When the wielder's will undergoes a drastic transformation, sufficient to defy the flow permeating the entire world, the Sacred Gear reaches its ultimate domain. The opponent was preparing to release it.
"Balance Breaker—"
Cao Cao's low voice echoed throughout the dimension, causing Leon's body to tense up instantly. He knew that the following moment would be the true life-or-death struggle. He, too, could no longer hold back.
"Then come!"
The light of magic power burned in Leon's eyes. The Sacred Gear fluctuation rising from his body began to alter the world's flow, just like Cao Cao's Holy Spear.
"Come!"
Seeing this, Cao Cao's eyes widened slightly. Then, as if the warrior within him was stimulated, his battle-maniac side was fully ignited. A surging fighting spirit and battle intent erupted once more.
The 'True Longinus' and the 'Zenith Tempest'—the true power of the two strongest Sacred Gears in existence was about to be revealed.
Unfortunately, just as the most violent collision was about to occur, a silent third party finally intervened.
"Calm down, Cao Cao."
A young man clad in a mage's robe suddenly appeared beside Cao Cao, reaching out to grasp the raised Holy Spear. "Now is not the time to reveal the true power and form of this spear."
Hearing this, Cao Cao snapped his head around to look at the other.
"Georg!"
His voice was full of dissatisfaction and a wild fighting aura, telling the other that he had been completely provoked by Leon and did not want to let things end here.
The youth named Georg naturally knew this, but he did not let go.
"I can feel the pocket dimension being invaded," Georg said succinctly. "The Underworld has already detected this place. Our time is up."
With that one sentence, Cao Cao rapidly regained his composure.
"Phew—"
Cao Cao exhaled and retracted the Holy Spear. "Then let's call it a day."
Cao Cao spoke calmly, and Georg nodded.
"You want to run?" Leon naturally saw all this and threw out those words directly.
"More or less." Cao Cao didn't deny it. He acted as if he knew what Leon wanted to do and said leisurely, "Don't think about stopping us, Master Eligos Just as I wasn't certain I could keep you here, you aren't certain you can keep us, right?"
"Let's postpone this battle for now." Cao Cao looked at Leon with a gaze that was burning and bright. "Next time, let us decide the winner and see who is superior."
"At that time, I will let you witness the true power of the Holy Spear."
"I hope you, too, will let me see the true form of the 'Zenith Tempest.'"
Leaving those words behind, a dense mist began to permeate the entire pocket dimension. Everyone's silhouette was swallowed by the mist, vanishing from the space in an instant without a trace—
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A new Demon Slayer fanfic has been uploaded! Don't forget to check it out—it's really good and I think you'll love it.