Chapter 382 The Arrival of Leon and the Energetic Valen
"Leon!?"
Luna's eyes widened, her heart racing. Although she had expected Leon to come, his arrival with a dragon was completely unexpected.
To make matters even more surprising, the dragon transformed into an extraordinarily beautiful and charming woman, causing Luna's expression to shift from astonishment to a cold, grim demeanor.
As the stunned crowd watched in silence, Leon and Athena slowly descended to the surface of the lake, just a few meters away from Luna, Valen, and Albert.
Leon smiled gently at Luna and said, "Sorry, I'm a little late."
At those words, the shock in the air instantly evaporated, replaced by overwhelming joy.
"It's the sword hero, Leon! Hahaha! He's really alive!" One of the soldiers exclaimed, his voice filled with joy.
"That's right! Hahaha! I doubted Leader Albert's words at first, but it's true! Damn, I'm so happy!" His comrade laughed without restraint.
The soldiers' cheers immediately followed Leon's arrival. Most of them had fought alongside him against the demon army in the past.
They naturally felt a deep bond with him, especially given his status as the sword hero, which elevated their admiration to new heights.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
The main reason they had fought in the desert of chaos before was to avenge Leon's supposed death at the hands of the Demons. It was no wonder, then, that they were overjoyed to learn he was still alive.
Leon couldn't help but smile at the cheers surrounding him. Despite having fought on opposite sides in the Desert of Chaos war, his feelings toward them remained unchanged. That was why he had never killed a single human soldier.
Luna tried to calm her emotions and was about to speak when a loud voice from behind her suddenly cut in.
"You bastard! So you're really still alive! Hahaha! Now, I'll get my revenge on you!"
Valen's voice erupted with incredible intensity, stunning everyone in the vicinity.
Before Luna, Albert, or the soldiers could react, holy power surged from Valen's body, shaking the entire forest.
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, Valen vanished and reappeared right in front of Leon. With a fierce motion, he swung the Holy Spear of Soaring Dragon toward Leon's right.
Seeing the sudden attack, Athena's red eyes gleamed with killing intent. Just as she was about to use her power to deflect Valen's strike, Leon moved faster than she could.
He shoved Athena back, then swiftly dropped to a crouch, narrowly evading the deadly hit.
Seeing his attack effortlessly dodged by Leon, Valen was momentarily stunned but quickly tried to strike again. Leon, however, gave him no opportunity. With quick precision, he bent his knees, leapt slightly, and twisted his waist to land a powerful kick with his right foot aimed at Valen's chest.
"Not good!" Valen's eyes widened in alarm. He swiftly gripped the Holy Spear of Soaring Dragon with both hands and positioned it in front of his chest as a shield.
*Boom!*
Leon's kick struck the Holy Spear of Soaring Dragon with tremendous force, sending Valen flying hundreds of meters and shattering trees along his path from the impact.
At the sight, the soldiers' mouths dropped open, forming wide "O"s, unable to hide their shock and disbelief.
They hadn't expected the Spear Hero Valen to attack the newly arrived Sword Hero Leon. What shocked them even more was how easily Leon had defeated Valen, despite the latter's sudden and direct assault.
The scene remained burned in their minds, causing their hearts to race.
"Is this the true power of Sword Hero Leon? How does it outmatch Spear Hero Valen so easily?" This thought echoed in the minds of all the soldiers.
"Leon, are you alright?" Athena inquired, her voice laced with concern as she checked him over from head to toe.
Leon shook his head casually, his hand gently rubbing her head. "I'm fine. Valen's attack didn't even graze me."
Athena's worried expression gradually faded, but it was quickly replaced by one of anger.
"That damn Spear Hero is completely out of line! How dare he attack you like that? I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget," she declared, her red eyes burning with killing intent.
Leon was the man she loved, and she wouldn't allow anyone to harm him. Anyone who dared would face her wrath without hesitation.
Although Valen was the Spear Hero of Mankind with immense power, Athena wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
Just as she was about to step forward, Leon quickly grabbed her left wrist and pulled her into his embrace.
"Don't worry about it. There's no need to get upset. This is just how things go between me and Valen. Calm down," he said gently, rubbing her back.
As a fellow Hero, Leon understood Valen well—careless, hot-tempered, stubborn, and unable to accept defeat. Valen had often challenged him in the past, and each time, it had ended with Valen being decisively defeated. So, Leon wasn't particularly bothered by the sudden attack.
"But..." Athena opened her mouth to speak but ultimately decided to hold her words back. Since Leon had said it, she had no choice but to accept it. Arguing would only upset him, and she didn't want that.
Meanwhile, Luna, who had just snapped out of her shock, couldn't suppress her anger toward Valen.
"That shrimp-brained idiot! He's really asking for trouble!" Luna cursed bitterly.
She never imagined Valen would be bold enough to do something like that. Had she known earlier, she would have beaten him senseless.
But when her gaze landed on the intimate scene between Leon and Athena, her anger flared even more.
"Who is this damn woman? How dare she act so entitled and get so close to him?" Luna thought, her jealousy barely concealed in her gaze.
Having grown up with Leon, Luna had always harbored affection for him. The presence of that damn dragon woman clearly unsettled her.
As if sensing the jealous glare, Athena's brows furrowed slightly, and she turned to face Luna immediately.
In an instant, their eyes met, and a clear spark of hostility flickered between them.
"What's with that look? Why does she hate me so much?" Athena thought silently, her eyes narrowing slightly.
On their way here, Leon had told her that he and Luna were childhood friends and best friends, asking her to be kind to her.
However, seeing the affectionate gaze Luna gave Leon, along with the unmistakable hostility directed at her, Athena began to suspect that Luna saw Leon as more than just a childhood friend.
A wave of anxiety surged through Athena's heart, and she instinctively tightened her hold on Leon's right arm, as if to assert that this man was hers.
"This damn woman..." Luna muttered through gritted teeth, her hatred for Athena palpable.
If not for the situation and the position they were in, she would have already raised the Holy Bow of Celestial Frost and taught Athena a harsh lesson.
Meanwhile, Leon, watching the silent clash between the two women, sighed helplessly while rubbing his temples.
"Is this what they call a silent battle between women?" Leon muttered, chuckling softly.
He wasn't concerned about them fighting; he had already asked Athena to hold back and avoid conflict with Luna. After all, Luna was his childhood best friend, and he didn't want her getting hurt.
Once he had composed himself, Leon gently pulled Athena toward Albert and Luna.
"Welcome, Sword Hero Leon," Albert greeted respectfully.
Leon smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Albert. So, how are things progressing?"
Albert's expression turned serious as he replied, "Everything is proceeding according to plan, Sword Hero Leon. More than thirty major cities in the Holy Empire of Elysium are already in the midst of rebellion, led by local noble families. In the past few days, our forces have successfully subverted the relief troops sent by Velix. We estimate that within a few hours, or at most by tonight, everything will be settled, and we'll have control of all those cities."
Leon's smile widened as he nodded in satisfaction. Most of the thirty cities in rebellion were among the most important and prosperous in the Holy Empire of Elysium.
Losing them would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to both the Holy Empire of Elysium and Velix. The impact was no exaggeration; it could even cripple various sectors, including the economy and beyond.
"By the way..." Leon's expression shifted to seriousness as he asked with caution, "How many casualties has this rebellion caused? And have any common citizens been harmed?"
In both his previous world and this one, he knew that rebellions always led to significant casualties, with the common people usually bearing the brunt. It was a truth no one could deny.
Albert smiled lightly, preparing to answer, but was quickly interrupted by Luna.
"So far, there have been no reports of civilian casualties," Luna replied nonchalantly. "But you don't need to worry about that. Before we partnered with the noble families, we made an agreement not to involve ordinary citizens. We've also instructed our troops to avoid violence against them, only targeting city forces that resist or reinforcements sent by Velix."
Leon could sense the underlying anger in Luna's words and couldn't help but smile playfully.
"Thank you for the report," Leon said, reaching out to gently rub her head.
The moment his hand touched her, her cold, angry expression froze. Soon after, a blush spread to the base of her ears, making her look incredibly cute.
However, she quickly regained her composure, replacing her blush with a scowl and snorting coldly. Despite this, she didn't remove Leon's hand from her head, silently savoring the moment.
Seeing her act this way, Leon was reminded of Luna as a child. Her expressions and reactions were exactly the same, and he couldn't help but laugh.
Athena, standing beside Leon, remained silent, but her eyes burned with jealousy as she glared coldly at Luna.
Leon shifted his gaze from Luna to Albert and the rest of the human army, then gave his order, "Let's head back to the capital and finish this."
At his command, Albert and the others nodded firmly and responded respectfully, "As you command!"
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