Chapter 192: Chapter 192-Trophy
The leviathan’s final roar tore through the sky, a sound that rattled the clouds and shook the very air around them. Its immense body began to plummet, each heavy beat of its fall sending tremors across the battlefield like miniature earthquakes.
Rafael, still gathering himself after his final strike, felt the ground or rather, the air beneath him, give way. His grip faltered, panic flashing in his eyes as he nearly tumbled into the void.
"Hang on!" Julian shouted, his voice cutting through the roaring wind. Shadows stretched and twisted beneath his hands, forming sinewy, inky tendrils that shot toward Rafael. They wrapped around him with precision and strength, catching him before he could fall further.
Rafael’s legs kicked frantically, searching for footing, but Julian’s shadows held firm, suspending him in midair. Dust, sparks, and the residual energy from the leviathan’s core swirled around them, painting the scene in chaos and storm-lit brilliance.
"Got you," Julian said, gritting his teeth as the shadows strained under Rafael’s weight. His other hand reached forward, ready to stabilize them both against the leviathan’s crashing body.
Below them, the leviathan hit the earth, or whatever remained of it, with a cataclysmic crash, sending shockwaves through the air and forcing all nearby combatants to brace themselves. The sound of splintering debris and the thunderous echo of impact drowned out everything else.
Rafael exhaled shakily, clinging to the shadows. "Thanks... didn’t think I’d make it this time," he murmured, his voice trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline.
Joe, still floating in the air with Julian’s shadows supporting him, let out a ragged laugh. His fangs glinted as he smirked.
"Finally, Rafael... you actually showed some guts."
Rafael, still suspended and trying to catch his breath, flushed at the words. His hands trembled as he adjusted his stance, not used to praise.
"I... it’s not, don’t make it sound like that..." he muttered awkwardly, eyes darting away.
Julian’s gaze swept the battlefield, his expression hard. "Where’s Leo?"
Joe frowned, shaking his head. "Didn’t see him."
Rafael added nervously, "Me neither. He... he wasn’t with us when the leviathan fell."
Something clicked in Julian’s instincts, an unease that twisted deeper with every second. His eyes narrowed, and without another word, his body shot forward, descending rapidly toward the massive corpse of the whale-like beast. He snapped his intercom alive mid-flight, his voice sharp and commanding:
"Everyone, regroup at the leviathan’s body immediately. Now!"
Wind whipped around him as he dove faster, shadows spiraling at his heels. His focus was so locked on the creature’s corpse that he didn’t notice the absence growing like a void behind him.
"Wait, slow down!" Rafael’s voice cracked over the comm, desperation in his tone.
But Julian ignored him, his eyes fixed on the fallen monster below.
He was only heartbeats away when the intercom crackled back to life. not with static, but with a voice that froze the blood in his veins.
"Too late. I already have what I came for."
Julian’s boots hit the broken flesh of the leviathan’s corpse with a heavy thud, shadows coiling around his frame as his eyes narrowed on the figure standing there.
The man stood atop the beast’s carcass as if it were his rightful throne, his silhouette framed by the faint shimmer of dying energy. In his hand, pulsing like a heart still clinging to life, was a shard of crimson thick, raw, dripping with the essence of the leviathan’s core.
Julian’s voice cut through the comm, sharp and demanding.
"Leo. What’s your motive here?"
Leo turned, lips curling into a mocking smirk.
"Motive? Hah. I just wanted my trophy of victory. A prize for being smarter than the rest of you."
Glain’s voice broke in through the intercom, stern and controlled even in urgency.
"Leo, stop this nonsense. Do not do anything reckless."
Leo tilted his head, amusement flashing in his insect-like eyes. He chuckled low, venom dripping from his words.
"Reckless? City Lord... you should’ve killed me the moment you doubted me. Hesitation doesn’t suit you. Or is it fear?"
Julian clenched his fists, lightning sparking faintly along his arms, shadows rippling like restless waves. He took a cautious step forward, his eyes locking on the object in Leo’s grasp.
The shard pulsed again, an ominous glow spilling out with every beat.
Leo raised it slightly, almost reverently, his grin widening.
"I never imagined it would survive, even after all those attacks. Resilient... beautiful. Truly, this creature was closer to godhood than any of us ever realized."
Julian’s voice came out low and edged like a blade, his eyes narrowing, the air around him heavy with restrained killing intent.
"Hand over the core, Leo.... or I’ll end you right here."
For a heartbeat, silence hung in the air, until Leo’s laughter shattered it, sharp and mocking, echoing off the whale’s corpse. He bent slightly forward, clutching the glowing shard tighter, his voice dripping with scorn.
"End me? Hah! You’ve grown far too confident in that power of yours, Julian. Do you really think your threats mean anything to me?"
Shadows writhed around Julian like vipers ready to strike, but before he could step closer, Joe landed beside him with a heavy thump, his dragon fangs glinting faintly as his body still crackled with residual heat. Joe crossed his arms, eyes locked on Leo, and let out a short, humorless laugh.
"So this is what it comes down to, huh?"
Leo flicked his gaze toward Joe, his grin widening, tone mocking.
"True strength... is seizing what others are too weak to hold."
Julian’s jaw tightened, the shadows at his feet stretching outward as if hungering to drag Leo down.
Julian’s hand tightened on the shadow at his feet, the black tendrils writhing like hungry living ropes. His voice was a low blade.
"Last warning, Leo. Give me the core, Now."
Joe’s laugh was gone, his jaw was a hard line. "We had our chance before." His claws flexed, the ember in his throat flared.
Rafael’s voice came out thin, trembling with something between anger and disbelief. "We bled for that thing. We fought together—"
Leo cut him off with a cold, contemptuous chuckle. "You’re sentimental, Rafael. Sentimentality is a weakness." He lifted the crimson shard so its pulse painted his face red. "This isn’t about who bled. This is about what survives. I’ll use this core to make myself something new. Evolution."
Julian’s shadow-voice snapped. "You really don’t understand what you’re holding. That thing—"
"Then maybe you should worry less about morals and more about not being left behind." Leo’s grin sharpened into a predator’s leer. He jabbed a finger at Julian’s chest, voice slipping into venom. "Worry about your girls, Julian. Make sure they’ll miss you when you rot in the clouds."