Leonel's murderous intent seemed to fuse with his domain of flames, causing a mere rise in temperature to suddenly become a land of red.
Following the Puppet Master's voice, the rumbling of the earth suddenly grew as giants rose in the distance.
Their bodies were completely nude, but they had no reproductive organs to speak of. It was difficult to tell if they were puppets formed of corpses like the rest or if they were artifical beings hand crafted by the Puppet Master itself.
These giants crashed through the city, seemingly not minding the carnage they were causing in the slightest. There were most definitely normal citizens of Hargrove still remaining, but their lives weren't considered for even a moment. In fact, in his fury, Leonel didn't even pause for a moment to think of them.
With a thought, the debris around him was formed into spiraling spears once again, launching toward the slowly walking giants.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
A deluge of explosions erupted across the bodies of the giants, causing them to stumble and slow. However, the damage was negligible. Let alone suffering injuries or being impaired, Leonel's attacks didn't even leave behind any scorching marks.
Soon, 12 Giants appeared, each of them standing over 20 meters tall, their steps heavy. They had no eyes, no ears, no clothing. Their skin was a dull brown color and other than their humanoid forms, there didn't seem to be anything else that was human about them.
However... each and everyone one of them carried a stifling aura. Even those several kilometers away, barely able to observe the situation, felt as though their hearts were being weighed down heavily. They couldn't help but wonder... if these giants had stepped onto the battlefield, would they even stand a chance?
Each and every one of them exuded the might of Demi God, standing on the precipice of the Fifth Dimension. Their hollow faces and steady gait even in the face of so much damage sent shivers down one's spine.
Compared to the Elemental wolves and knights, these giants were on a completely different level.
The soldiers of Hargrove City that managed to survive Leonel's initial barrage backed away in fear, many looking on in horror. However, many unlucky ones could do nothing as they watched the large feet of the giants stomp toward the ground.
The air pressure of their feet descending alone sent the warriors tumbling into the earth, pinned down and left without a choice but to watch on as their deaths approached from above.
Some weren't even so lucky. Pinned down with their faces against the ground, they could only cry in agony, trying their best to move. Their pitiful struggles only made their inevitable deaths worst. Sometimes hope only bred more pain.
By now, the elites of Hargrove City had reacted to the situation. Many had thought of turning back, but after seeing the response the Puppet Master had in store, they paused.
Was there even a need to act any longer? Even one of those monsters could wipe out The Capital on its own, let alone 12 of them.
Jerach's hammers had long since come to a stop. With his strength, it was a simple matter to lay eyes on Leonel from so far away.
He didn't know when, but that indifferent back had begun haunting his dreams, so much so that he hadn't even needed to see Leonel's face to know it was him the moment he appeared.
Back then, when he dedicated his life to Leonel over their bet, he had every intention of following through. But, he soon learned that his resolve wasn't as strong as he thought it was.
Yet, instead of taking his life or even cursing him, Leonel simply didn't speak another word to him. He had cut off their relationship so easily it was as though they had never met, as though they were strangers.
Jerach's nerves steeled, his fists clenching around his hammers.
They were enemies now. Leonel's death was in his best interest. In fact, the sooner Leonel died, the better.
Remembering the horrible pressure that emitted from Leonel that day Jilniya laid a hand on Aina, the reaper's skeleton hand seemed to grip at his throat.
However, none of that mattered. The legend that was Leonel would come to a close right here and now.
Leonel stood amidst the carnage, facing the pressure of 12 giants. His knees couldn't help but creak and whine beneath the pressure as though they had every intention of bending.
However, his back remained ramrod, his cold gaze not even looking toward the 12 giants making their way toward him.
If others could see anything but his back, they'd be able to realize that Leonel had hardly spared the giants a glance from start to finish. From the very beginning, his gaze was locked onto the center of the City, every fiber of his senses latching onto the City Lord's mansion in the distance.
With every passing moment, the stomps of the giants grew more frequent and harsher. It felt as though the whole world might collapse at any moment.
But, all Leonel could hear was the thumping of his own heart, the flood of his own blood, the crackles of his own bones.
No, there was something else he could hear.
He could feel Aina'a heart against his back. He could feel its eratic beating, its trepidation, its fear...
Leonel knew Aina well. He might not understand the smallest details of her quirks, but he understood her character.
What she feared wasn't the strength of the Puppet Master. His Aina wasn't a coward who needed to be carried into battle like this.
What she feared was the lack of the control, the loss of the pursuit of her destiny, the idea that someone else could snatch her autonomy away without even giving her a chance to fight back.
What she feared wasn't the Variant. What she feared was her own weakness.
Leonel had no doubt in his mind that if the Puppet Master allowed Aina to move at this moment, her fury would be no less than his, the carnage she wrought would be no less blazing, the blood she spilt no less unending.
However, right now, she couldn't move. That right had been snatched from her by a bastard who still didn't even dare to show its face.
Since that was the case, he would show her. With him around, even if she was too weak, even if she was on her last legs, even if she couldn't move. She would never have a thing to worry about.
BANG!
The 12 giants stepped into a range not even ten meters from Leonel. The force of their steps sent of a wall of wind in his direction, nearly tearing the clothes from his body.
But, he remained completely unmoving.
For the first time, Leonel looked away from the City Lord Mansion and locked onto the Giants, his cold gaze sweeping by them with a world of indifference.
"Piss off."
The words shot through the silent battlefield, resonating with the hearts of all those who heard them.
At that moment, the ground the giants stepped upon suddenly warped and twisted.
Just as they were about to take another step forward, this time to reap Leonel's life, something snapped.
The world trembled, space itself bending and squeezing into a self imposed eruption.
In the end, all that was left was a hole with edges so smooth one could see one's own reflection.
Leonel stood amidst the carnage, his back still straight, his gaze still piercing.
Not a single giant was in sight.