บท 12: The Flame of Hell

Reno let out a maniacal laugh that echoed through the marsh.

After a while, he lowered his head, wiping away the tears of mirth from his eyes.

His gaze returned to being icy cold and venomous as he said,

"Since you care so much about this maid, pick up that sword and end yourself. Then I might consider sparing her life."

"Reno, you bastard! Let me go! Why don't you just kill me?!"

Lilith's eyes reddened with rage and desperation as she struggled furiously.

She felt both furious and humiliated, not believing that Leo would sacrifice his life for her.

"Shut up!" Reno barked coldly.

"Do you really think I care about your life? As far as I know, a servant like you has no rights even in human realms."

"I suppose your master wouldn't give up his life for you either, would he?"

After speaking, Reno looked up at Leo. Lilith also turned her gaze towards him.

She slowly shook her head, a look of despair in her eyes, but managed a strained smile.

"The great dark elf, you really are... cautious," Leo said with a shrug and a helpless smile.

"After you're dead, I'll let her go. Then, I will have my second hell magic," Reno said with a smirk.

Leo bent down and picked up his sword from the ground. He then looked at Lilith.

"Lilith, you should remember one thing. In this world, men who treat you badly might have evil intentions, but men who are inexplicably too nice to you definitely have ulterior motives," Leo said with a smile.

Then, holding his sword in reverse grip, he aimed it at his own heart.

"Leo!!" Lilith screamed sharply, her eyes filled with disbelief and sorrow.

She had never imagined that Leo would truly be willing to die for her.

Could he really... treat her in such a way?

Was it all a misunderstanding, that he was the one who loved her?

But why hadn't she felt it, not even the slightest?

Tears streamed down Lilith's face, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Interesting..." Reno's smile widened, glowing with triumph.

"Indeed, very interesting," Leo replied softly, his own smile growing brighter.

Without any hesitation, he plunged the sword into his own chest.

"Thud!"

As the sword pierced Leo's chest, Lilith's expression froze in disbelief, unable to comprehend what was unfolding before her eyes.

At the same time, the still-smiling Reno's expression suddenly stiffened.

Realizing something amiss, he looked down at his own chest, where a bloodstain was slowly spreading.

In an instant, Reno was bewildered, for everything was too absurd.

He hadn't felt any attack, yet his heart had been pierced, a tearing sensation causing his soul to tremble.

He tried to use his magical powers to save his life, but it seemed too late.

Desperation filled him, and what made it worse was that he didn't even know how he had met his end.

He was the greatest prodigy of the dark elf race in a century.

Following a tattered map, he had found this marsh with its Hell Monument.

He was supposed to be the chosen one!

Lifting his head, he looked up at the sky, his eyes full of unanswered questions.

"Ha! Haha!" Suddenly, a mocking laughter broke the silence.

Reno instinctively turned, only to see Leo, lying on the ground, already opening his eyes.

He too was gazing at the sky, muttering to himself as blood spilled from his mouth:

"I made a wish to the great gods, to plunge a sword into my chest, to lose half of my life, and the great gods... they answered me."

What?

Reno was still baffled, failing to grasp what had transpired.

Leo hadn't died, but he was dying?

"Leo, are you alright?!" Lilith's voice quivered as she looked at Leo, her eyes brimming with joy.

She instinctively started to struggle.

Reno, having lost the strength to restrain Lilith, could only watch as she ran to Leo's side.

Lilith knelt beside Leo, her face stained with tears, eyes filled with worry.

She gazed at the sword in Leo's chest, seemingly at a loss.

"You fool, just help me up," Leo's fingers brushed through Lilith's hair, his voice cold.

"Okay, I'll help you up," Lilith immediately nodded.

She assisted Leo to slowly sit up on the ground.

Once seated, Leo could turn his gaze to Reno.

Reno's complexion was now deathly pale; had he not been an advanced magus, he would have already perished.

Yet even so, death was beckoning him.

"Why? How... did you do this?" Reno, mustering his last ounce of strength, uttered his incomprehension.

"If you hadn't been so cautious, I might not have even had the chance to kill you like this," Leo replied with a slight smile, his eyes full of scorn.

"What… do you mean?" Reno's eyes dimmed.

"It means, go to your death," Leo said with a mocking smile, slightly parting his lips. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

With a crisp snap, the last trace of light in Reno's eyes vanished completely.

All that remained was a mix of incomprehension, rage, and despair.

"How's that? Cool, isn't it?" Leo turned to Lilith, asking with a smile.

Lilith, her eyes full of concern and tears lingering in her lashes, gazed at the sword in Leo's chest.

"I'll get you out of here. I'll save you!" she declared.

"Don't worry," Leo reassured her, gently wiping the tears from her eyes.

"You seem to underestimate your master. I'm not so easy to kill. And stop crying so easily; my maid should be stronger than that."

With that, Leo slowly stood up with Lilith's help.

He looked towards the nearby Hell Monument.

"Help me over there. I think there's no magic better than hell magic to save a life in this world."

"Okay," Lilith instinctively nodded.

She supported Leo as they slowly made their way to the Hell Monument.

Kneeling in front of the monument, Leo looked back at Lilith.

"Leave this place for now. Whatever happens, wait for my signal before you come back."

"What are you going to do?" Lilith asked instinctively.

"As my maid, don't ask too many questions," Leo shot her a cold glance.

If it weren't for the sword still embedded in his chest and his recent act of saving her, Lilith felt the urge to kick him.

Biting her lip in frustration, Lilith decided to stop caring about him.

"Fine, do whatever you want. It's not like I care about your life or death!" she retorted coldly.

After saying those words, Lilith turned and left decisively.

Leo, now alone in front of the Hell Monument, allowed a faint smile to grace his features.

That was more like it.

A Lilith who was too gentle towards him didn't suit his habits or expectations.

Facing the stone monument, he collected himself, the smile fading.

One of the greatest opportunities of his life lay before him, and even Leo couldn't help feeling a bit of excitement.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly extended his hand, pressing it against the cool surface of the Hell Monument.

"Boom!!"

With that sound, a surge of energy erupted.

A blue flame burst forth from the Hell Monument, writhing like a fiery dragon, swirling around Leo.

The infernal energy poured wildly into his body, etching the mark of the Flame of Hell deep into his mind.

"Whoosh… Whoosh…"

The flame stirred the wind, attracting countless blue specks that converged towards Leo, creating a sea of blue around him.

During the process, the sword in his chest gradually dissolved into nothingness, and the gaping wound began to heal slowly.

Witnessing this spectacle from afar, Lilith's gaze trembled slightly, utterly astonished by the scene unfolding before her.

She finally understood why Leo was so determined to come here; such a terrifying and powerful magical imprint could entice any mighty being on the continent.

However, didn't this magic seem to bear the power of hell?

Wasn't that heretical?

Lilith felt a twinge of anxiety.

Observing Leo's silhouette, she started to grasp his mysterious and unpredictable nature.

"Ah!!" Suddenly, Leo let out a thunderous roar towards the sky.

As his roar faded, the blue dragon and the ocean of light gradually dissipated.

When the last glimmer of light vanished, Leo finally slowly opened his eyes.