The spear thrummed with energy that was both destructive and purifying. Leon could sense that this combination would be devastating against the abyssal spawn, just as Loriel had suggested.

"This feels... different," he murmured, marveling at the unique sensation of wielding all three elements in perfect harmony. The monster's hundred eyes all turned toward the spear at once, a collective scream tearing from its body as if it knew death was coming.

Leon didn't spare even a millisecond. The way the monster was screaming and trying to get away while being held in place by both women—he and the beast both knew this attack would end everything.

How could it not? He had spent three times the amount of mana compared to before, and by mixing in the life element—something he'd never thought usable like this against the grotesque black monster—this attack terrified it. It wanted to avoid it at all costs.

Aurelia and Crystalline couldn't even tear their eyes away from the boy or the attack he had created. But judging by the abyssal spawn's reaction and the terrifying energy level pressing against their backs, both of them knew this attack could end it all—if it landed.

They were doing their best to stall it. Still, in the next moment, more than five black tentacles grotesquely exploded with a wet, tearing squelch, spraying corruption in all directions.

The monster had chosen to sacrifice some of its own tentacles to create a chance to escape.

And it worked.

The massive explosion, along with a black, glue-like substance, spread in all directions like countless toxic needles, along with a burning, acrid stench that clung to the throat.

Aurelia and Crystalline immediately surged their mana and used similar techniques to shield themselves, not caring about the mana cost. Like streaks of light, the shockwave slammed against their skin, burning like a gale, forcing them to retreat.

The explosion was massive—they had to retreat several hundred meters to stay safe.

The burn of the explosion was something they could handle easily. But the corruption? That was another matter entirely.

The abyssal monster choosing to self-destruct parts of its own body made both of them aware of how terrifying Leon's attack must be.

The boy they had initially thought of as a promising young talent—his image had changed completely. He wasn't just talented and strong.

He was dangerous.

And not the kind of danger you could ignore—this was the kind you had to respect. From now on, they knew they had to treat him as an equal. Never in their lives had they witnessed something like this.

Crystalline's throat went dry. If that spear had turned toward her instead of the monster, she knew she would already be gone.

In the brief few seconds they took to stabilize themselves, the monster had already traveled 300 meters ahead.

Aurelia felt slightly embarrassed. She hadn't even been able to stall the monster. He was supposed to be promising, not terrifying. What am I even witnessing?

For the first time in my life, I have seen something so out of this world! Aurelia thought while Crystaline was lost in her own world.

They could catch up, but it would take time—30 seconds to a minute—since the monster was fleeing at full power. If they pushed themselves again like earlier, they might reach it in under 10 seconds, but that would burn through too much mana.

Leon, meanwhile, stood with the spear—twice his size—blazing in his hand, icy blue light crackling with lightning around it. The energy surrounding the weapon was mesmerizing. It looked like a divine work of art.

It was a pity. Such an attack would likely be wasted. Aurelia and Crystalline didn't believe he could maintain it for long, and from such a distance, landing it seemed nearly impossible.

Leon's expression remained calm. His gaze locked onto the fleeing target. Seeing what had just happened, he felt relieved. He had been slightly worried that his attack might harm the women if they couldn't escape in time. But now, with them far away, he had nothing to worry about.

He relaxed. He didn't have to hold back the strength of his throw like last time.

"One-tenth. Let's measure what destruction looks like now."

Previously, he had used under 2%—closer to 1%, really. And even that had been far stronger than what he could manage before—almost comparable to his strength at his previous peak with Transcendent-ranked mana body enhancement and Raijin's descent.

That had been an eye-opener. It made Leon realize just how terrifying his strength had become now.

His hand vanished from plain sight—the motion was so fast it left behind a hollow silence, broken only when the air collapsed into a deafening boom.

But this time, it was genuinely shocking. Aurelia and Crystalline's eyes widened. They forgot about chasing the monster altogether. They couldn't even see what he had done.

A realization dawned on them, making them shiver.

T-This is... i-impossible!

BOOM!

A terrifying storm erupted where Leon had stood. The rooftop beneath him was obliterated, the sound of shattering rock and splintering beams drowning out all else. The floor turned to dust, and the walls cracked and crumbled.

Not gradually—but as if an unimaginable catastrophe had struck the building.

Leon floated calmly in the air, completely unharmed, a relaxed expression on his face as he watched the massive cloud of destruction unfold.

A kilometer-wide crater had formed, and the crater still smoked, carrying the sharp metallic tang of lightning-charred earth. Aurelia and Crystalline were pushed back by the impact, though they remained unharmed.

The entire city trembled, the vibration crawling up through their boots and rattling their bones.

A silence heavy with the bitter, smoky smell of burned corruption followed.

And those who had witnessed it—those who had felt it—many dropped to their knees.

Some held firm out of pride or image, but now, only respect and reverence filled their eyes. Any schemes they had, any plans—they had all been erased by the sheer absolute power they had witnessed.

The monster was gone.

Erased from existence.

Most couldn't even see that far because of their low strength or lack of proper means. But they all believed it. The landscape had vanished.

Only a crater remained.

At the same time, something was slamming into buildings one after another—uncontrolled.

Small sounds of destruction echoed around them, but everyone was too stunned to react.

Even Aurelia, the one who was supposed to act as the guardian of the young Saintess of Life, who had promised to take care of him—

Even she stood frozen.

Leon was the only one who turned around for a moment, glancing back at the buildings. He noticed the holes forming in multiple houses, leading off into the distance. Then, he checked—was Seraphine alright?

She was his first priority.

The building Seraphine had been in had nearly crumbled. But she was completely fine.

For a heartbeat, his calm mask cracked—relief softened his gaze when he saw her untouched. Everything else, even the crater he had carved into the city, was meaningless compared to that.

She tightened her fists, not out of fear but pride—this was the man she had chosen, and the world would learn to kneel.

Liora and Andrew had minor scratches, and their mouths hung open in shock. Seraphine, however, was untouched—lightning Aura Level 2 glowing softly over her body.

She was the only one who had taken immediate defensive measures.

The minor injuries to Liora and her father? Leon ignored them. They had also moved to a different building.

As for the one who was next to him—

Leon's gaze swept over the destruction for a moment longer before he turned back toward the others. His expression remained completely calm, almost casual, as if he had just finished a routine training exercise rather than unleashing an attack that had reshaped the landscape.

He noticed the small trail of destruction leading through several buildings in the distance—holes punched clean through walls in a neat line. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Ah, right. Loriel."

His tone was remarkably nonchalant, as if he had just remembered he'd left something behind. He didn't seem particularly concerned or worried.

After all, she had claimed to be the 37th Saintess of the Church of Life. If that were true, she should be more than capable of handling a little turbulence from the shockwave of his attack. Saintesses were supposed to be extraordinarily powerful, weren't they?

Leon shrugged slightly, floating in the air with his hands casually at his sides.

"She'll be fine. She's a saintess, after all. That's what she said, anyway."

The way he said it suggested he wasn't overly invested in verifying her condition. In his mind, if someone made such grand claims about their status and power, they should be able to back it up when it mattered.

She should be fine. She is the one who insisted on being next to me the whole time; she must have considered this.

Besides, if she isn't fine… well, that's on her, not me.

Leon was utterly wrong, as Loriel had never in a million years thought this would be the result of him just throwing the spear.

The casual dismissal of Loriel's situation hung in the air, a stark contrast to his obvious care for his beloved.

Through his spatial awareness, Leon confirmed what he already knew—the abyssal monster was completely erased from existence. Not a single trace remained. Even the corrupted energy that had once emanated from it was gone, as if it had never existed in the first place.

A satisfied smirk crossed his face.

Perfect. Complete annihilation. Not even dust remained.

He felt a surge of pride at how efficiently he had handled the situation. The combination of ice, lightning, and life element had worked even better than he had anticipated. The monster that had given two powerful women such trouble had been obliterated in a single strike.

Ten percent of my strength really is something else now.

But there was something else his spatial awareness picked up—something that made him pause. The space around him felt... different. Weaker somehow.

Leon frowned slightly, extending his senses further. The fabric of space itself seemed more fragile than before, as if his attack had somehow damaged the very foundation of reality in this area.

Interesting. The space has been weakened significantly.

A curious thought crossed his mind. If he were to punch the air with the same 10% strength he had just used, he was certain it would tear a hole straight through space itself.

The dimensional barrier here is now practically paper-thin.

He filed that information away for later. It could be helpful to know, though he made a mental note to be more careful with his full power in populated areas.

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