Two strikes. Two deaths. A Blaze Stage. A Burning Stage. Both ended like insects. That was the terrifying power Leander held.Leander spread his hand. His fingers were long and white, smooth like carved stone. Yet the force coiled within them promised ruin. Even Ares' body quaked.Greed was worthless. Enderman had been his peer. To kill him in a single blow should have been impossible.Yet Leander had done it. And he killed two before anyone could blink. Fear was coiling his heart. If that fist had aimed at him instead, Ares knew his fate would have been no different.Leander's gaze pierced him. His voice rolled like thunder breaking mountains."Everyone else is gone. Now it's your turn."Ares, master of the International Combat Units, took a faltering step back. His heart pounded like a drum. His will crumbled.He cursed himself. If he had known Leander was this monster, he never would have answered the Arbitration Office. No reward, no gain, no promise was worth this."Sovereign Ashcroft!"He shot back across the sea, widening the gap. He cupped his fists and bowed. A strained smile bent his lips."Enderman and I came because Greed once bound us by favor. We owed him. That is why we stood here today."But I have no quarrel with you. Greed is dead. Enderman too. Let this be finished."I, Ares, give my word. I leave now. I will never step into Astria again. I only ask for your grace. Will you accept it?"Gasps broke out across the shore.Ethan's chest shuddered. Awe carved through him.Ares, a man of the International Combat Units, bowed and begged for peace. He could not imagine the fear Leander could strike into these men's hearts.Aurora's eyes burned with light. Her heart hammered against her chest. She could not look away from Leander.She had never believed she could fall. Yet now, she could not deny it. She had never imagined a man like him could exist.She locked her decision deep inside. No matter the shame, no matter the cost, when this war ended, she would throw herself at Leander. She swore she would not let even one chance slip past her fingers.Claire shook her head with a heavy sigh. In her eyes, Leander's legend had not ended. It was still alive, burning brighter than ever before.Reginald, Anton, and the other masters of the families all let out long breaths of relief.Ares bowing to Leander meant the shadow over the Four Families had finally lifted. Leander had become their deliverer.With only a single word from him, Ares would flee, and the battle at the Southern Ocean would close.But Leander's voice cut through the silence. "You want to build ties with me? You think you even qualify?"Every heart froze. All had believed it would end there, but his words rang cold as steel.His voice deepened. "I gave you your choice earlier. I asked if you wanted life or death. You made your decision."My word is iron. I said I would kill you. That means you must die."Now you shall die!"His body vanished the instant he spoke."D*mn it!"Ares cursed, but he had no breath left for anything more. The second Leander disappeared, cold air knifed into him. The weight of death pressed down, smothering him in terror.A fist cut the air. It looked simple. It looked plain. But it was locked on his heart.The strike landed.Ares' body cracked apart like glass. The punch ripped straight through his chest, and his figure shattered in midair."Hm?"Leander's eyes narrowed. The moment his fist passed through, he felt it. Something was wrong.The body was not real. His blow had smashed nothing more than a shadow. Fragments broke into arcs of lightning and vanished into the sea air."A phantom?"Reginald and the others stiffened. Their faces sank. Even under that kind of pressure, Ares had conjured a thunder-born shadow to take the hit it was proof of why he ranked among the strongest of the O International Combat Units. From the horizon, mocking laughter rolled back across the waves."Jeff, did my phantom trick you?"Ares' voice turned cruel. "What you gave me today, I'll never forgive. From now on, you are my sworn enemy. Wherever I can bring you pain, I will be there."You cannot catch me. Your speed is fast, but I am hundreds of yards ahead. I've used Thunderstride. You will never reach me.""Farewell, Jeff. We will meet again."His words drifted away. His figure shrank into a black speck against the sea and then was gone.The families sank into silence. Leander had claimed overwhelming victory, but Ares had slipped away.Ares might never face Leander again head-on. But in the shadows, his danger would linger. He could strike the families without warning, and no one could guard against it.Leander's face held no ripple. He stared across the endless water, lost in thought."Ander!"Daphne's voice rose from the shore. She ran forward and shouted up at him. Her call pulled him back.noveldramaHe reached toward her, grinning wide."Dani, let me settle Ares first. Then I'll come to you."Gasps broke out all across the crowd. Ares was already beyond sight, far across the sea. How could Leander strike him down now?But before the question could spread, Leander lifted his arms. One hand before him, one hand behind. His stance shaped a bow.Flames burst from his palms.They climbed and stretched, molding into a longbow made of fire.His left hand gripped the blazing frame. His right hand pulled back the burningstring. A fiery arrow took form, glowing brighter with every heartbeat."Dragonfire, Soulchaser."His low voice rolled like thunder. His fingers let go.The bowstring snapped. The arrow of fire screamed into the sky.The crowd saw only a streak of burning light. It cut across the horizon and vanishedin an instant, but its heat lingered as it chased its prey.Miles away, Ares tore through the waves, wrapped in lightning. His speed carved scars across the sea."D*mn you, Jeff! You forced me to burn my cultivation. I had to use the phantom to dodge that killing strike! When heal, gather my army storm Astra. I'll kill you!" But his words caught. His body froze. A blaze surged at his back. It was already there."What-"He turned, but too late. The arrow ripped through space. It pierced his chest and blasted out his back in a flood of fire.His breath broke. "No... way..."The King of Thunder stiffened in disbelief. His eyes widened. Flame erupted fromhis chest and swept over him. His entire body turned into a roaring pyre.Above the restless sea, a burning fireball hung in the air. No screams came. No cry of pain followed. Only a silence so strange it pressed down on every heart At last, the fre dimmed and thinned into smoke, drifting high until the sky swallowedit whole. Four Kindling Stage Transcendents. Four Ember Stage Transcendents. One BlazeStage Transcendent. Two Burning Stage Transcendents.All had been wiped out.