Flames shot into the skies, lighting up the darkening battlefield as though the sun was rising from the North today.
The battlefield seemed to pause, shock coloring the faces of everyone present.
Destroying the Gates of a city wasn't so simple. Let alone the materials needed to construct it, the Force Arts protecting it alone would be enough to give a headache to even the most powerful City Lords among the people of Terrain.
Even if that was ignored, the sudden appearance above the battlefield and the subsequent almost suicidal actions left everyone in a daze. However, they hadn't even been able to register all that happened before a roar shook the skies.
"GET THE HELL OUT HERE!"
Leonel's infuriated bellowing resonated in the ears of everyone.
It was only at that moment that everyone came to a subtle understanding. Leonel wasn't here to be a savior. Someone had pissed him off and that person happened to be within Hargrove City's walls.
It was only at that moment that whatever few guards of Hargrove City that remained finally reacted to the change.
The truth was that with their charge, the elites of the City were currently on the frontlines and no one had been paying attention to the skies. Even if they had been, Leonel's appearance was simply too sudden. Without the slightest sound, he had crashed down from the skies, obliterating their defenses as though they weren't there.
How could the flaws of Terrain's Force Arts escape Leonel's notice?
Warriors converged on Leonel from all sides, what remained of the archers that hadn't toppled from the walls aiming their bows toward him.
If there was one advantage Terrain would always have, it was numbers. Though they had sent many of their elites forward, how could their cities be completely unguarded.
Leonel's gaze flickered with wild fluctuations of violet and red, a dense violet bronze fog hung around him, his Runes shining so brightly as they marked his body that it was hard to look directly at him.
At that moment, Leonel's surroundings became a land of scorching heat. He embodied the Fire Domain Style, the temperature around him reaching unprecedented levels.
Leonel's mind spun, countless calculations taking root as he simulated just as many possibilities.
His gaze flashed when he finished, his arms raising up as though he was commanding the movements of an orchestra.
Little Tolliver appeared, separating out into numerous droplets of mercury.
The sight was especially gorgeous. Leonel stood amid a tidal wave of Flames, his body sparkling with golden lights and droplets of silver hovering around him.
His movements commanded the obedience of the world, his rage seeping into the hearts of all those who laid eyes on him. In their minds, he was the one and only truth.
The debris around Leonel was suddenly engulfed by Little Tolly. Simultaneously, Leonel conjured the spells for [Sword Light] and [Fire Spear].
Leonel had never put to words the sort of enlightenment Lionel had given him. But, if he had to summarize it, he would only need one word...
Freedom!
He could simulate the world in his mind, he had precision the likes of which even computers of the 25th Century could only dream of, but who said he only had to simulate reality? Why couldn't he dig into the recesses of his mind, tap into the fantasies of a man, and force creations that could shake the world into being?
Who said he couldn't forge weapons on a battlefield? Who said he couldn't fuse Light and Fire Elemental Spell Arts into one? Who said a single man couldn't bring a city to its knees?!
Even as thousands of soldiers converged onto Leonel's position, gorgeous javelins began to form around him. They used the metallic base of the city's gates and fused the Flames of [Fire Spear] into its foundations, strengthening the already powerful One Star Magus Art. Its blade resonated with a golden halo, formed of an illusory golden sword that twinkled beneath the darkness of night.
In one breath, there were just three of them. In the next, the number doubled, then doubled again. In the blink of an eye, there were dozens, then hundreds. They floated in the skies beneath Leonel's control, waiting for his orchestral rhythm to reach its peak.
"Since you insist on being in my way... Die."
The blazing spears of fire and light tore through the night sky, leaving streaks of flames and gold in their wake.
The warriors charging toward Leonel suddenly found themselves pierced through. The bolts were so swift that they hardly felt a thing before their innards were completely burnt to ash, shock coloring their faces even in death.
But, as though that wasnt enough, even after claiming one life, the dealthy spears didn't pause, reaping more lives before suddenly erupting into a cacophony of explosions.
Each bomb was so resounding that the very foundations of the City quaked, taking hundreds of lives with every tremble.
Leonel stomped down his feet hard, violent surges of Earth Elemental Force erupting from his body as he forced the trembling grounds to concentrate their attack, splintering the earth and causing the deaths of thousands more.
His every action was cold and indifferent, his calculations so deadly that even it seemed capable of directing every ounce of energy toward the death of more.
Leonel stood like a God amidst the carnage, the crackling of flames sparking around his body as though to reflect the synapses of his mind.
Those watching on couldn't believe what they were seeing. The Gates of Hargrove City stood in complete carnage, a single man having reaped the lives of thousands in what didn't seem to be more than just a few minutes.
'Is this the real him...?' Noah's gaze flickered, his expression impossible to read.
However, all this said, Noah still felt that something was off. Rather than being content with such an achievement Leonel seemed to be... growing angrier?
"You've... brought my Queen to me..."
The voice easily swept over the battlefield despite not seemingly being very loud. It was as though this man was whispering into all their ears.
Leonel was so infuriated he grinned, his smile carrying a darkness that swallowed his surroundings.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you."
Shackles that seemed to be weighing Leonel scattered, a bloodthirsty aura washing over The Capital.