'At the end of the day, if I die, it's my fault. If I fail, that's on me. Every missed opportunity? That's mine to carry.'
Leonard exhaled slowly, his breath cold as it cut through the tension. This time, his calm wasn't forced—it was sharp, deliberate, like a blade forged from his fear and sharpened into resolve. He wasn't trembling anymore. His fear had become something he could wield.
'By my own power…'
"Hey, fellow summoner." Leonard's voice was casual, almost disinterested, as he approached. His steps were unhurried, deliberately drawing the summoner's attention. The man's eyes, hidden beneath his hood, narrowed at the unexpected greeting.
"Not enough shadow," Leonard continued with a slight smirk. "I can see your face clearly."
The summoner didn't move, but there was a flicker of suspicion behind his calm. Not enough to trigger alarm, but enough to be wary. He knew Leonard—the one who had stolen the Black Box he'd worked so hard to steal from the White League. The memory alone caused his blood to simmer with rage.
With a scowl, the summoner pushed back his hood, revealing his face fully. "I don't know what kind of drug you're on, but walking up to me alone? That's insane. Is your friend hiding somewhere, waiting for an opening?"
"Why aren't you running?" Leonard shot back, completely unfazed by the mockery.
He was playing a delicate game, and he knew it. The summoner had no idea that Zeus wasn't present, which gave Leonard the advantage of appearing unfazed, almost cocky. As long as the summoner believed Zeus was lurking in the shadows, Leonard could keep this charade going.
"I'm not answering that." Leonard shrugged, as if the question was beneath him. By now, he had closed the distance, just a few meters separating them. His eyes darted briefly to Yuna, lying motionless on the ground. He didn't have the luxury of a direct rescue. He'd need to lure the summoner away first.
"You're a summoner, right? Weakest Player Class of them all?"
The summoner barely restrained a laugh. The idea that summoners were weak? Ridiculous. Summoners had the power to call upon gods, to reshape entire battles. And yet here Leonard was, talking like he had a death wish.
Shaking his head, the summoner sighed, locking eyes with Leonard as the distance shrank to just five meters.
"Do you want to die?" His words were laced with menace, carrying a weight that Leonard hadn't anticipated.
Leonard flinched—his body's instinct betraying him for just a second. There was something tangible behind the summoner's words, like an invisible pressure wrapping around him, suffocating and thick.
'Could it be killing intent?'
Leonard tried to shake off the sensation, but the oppressive weight clung to him. There was no mistaking it—the summoner's words, his glare, carried a pressure that made the air feel thin, suffocating. But it wasn't directed at Leonard, not really. The summoner didn't see him as the target.
He was after Zeus.
"Where is your companion?" the summoner demanded, eyes narrowing.
Leonard's response was calm, deliberate. "I'm a summoner too."
The summoner scoffed, disbelief evident in his voice. "Are you stupid? A summoner walking up to me without a summon? What kind of joke is this?"
Leonard shook his head, his face set in determination. "I am a summoner."
The thought flickered briefly in his mind: 'This feels ridiculous. But whatever I'm doing here, I have to see it through. There's no turning back now.'
To the summoner, Leonard was becoming a nuisance, nothing more. The Black Box had ceased to be his top priority, yet Leonard's persistence was grating. If Leonard hadn't shown up, he wouldn't have considered killing him—but now, his patience was running thin.
"You really expect me to believe that? If you're a summoner, why are you approaching me without your summon?" The summoner's tone dripped with irritation, but something in Leonard's demeanor made him pause.
Leonard's strategy was simple: provoke without truly engaging. Irritate, but not enough to escalate. The summoner couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He sensed deception, even if faint, clinging to Leonard's every move. His weakness was obvious—had been from the beginning—so what was the point of this charade?
"I want a duel," Leonard stated firmly.
"Pft." The summoner's laugh was sharp, almost mocking. "A duel? You, with me? You must have lost your mind. Do you even know who you're talking to?"
The sheer absurdity of the challenge amused him. Leonard was a low-floor summoner, at best—nothing compared to the power the summoner wielded. He had control over golems, could channel his summons' abilities through a single skill, and Leonard thought he could duel him?
"This is the dumbest thing I've heard all day," the summoner said, still chuckling. The gap between their abilities was laughable, but Leonard stood there, unwavering.
"Alright, alright, that's a good laugh." The summoner made a show of wiping imaginary tears from his eyes, clearly amused. "Let's entertain this for a moment—say you are a summoner. Do you even see those?" He gestured to the three towering golems standing like sentinels. "Do you think you're capable of summoning something even remotely close to their caliber?"
Leonard didn't need to glance at the colossi to know the truth. He was outmatched, plain and simple. If it came to a straight fight, his weaker summons, theoretically, would stand no chance. And even worse, his summons weren't responding. Fighting with what, then?
"Laugh all you want," Leonard said, his voice steady, "but before this is over, you'll be kneeling before me."
The summoner scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's impossible. You don't even know how to use the <Summoner's Legacy>, yet you propose a duel? You really need to think this through, kid."
'Summoner's Legacy?' Leonard's mind snagged on the mention of the unfamiliar skill, but there was no time to dwell on it now.
"Maybe I don't know how," Leonard replied, his eyes sharp, "but why act so hesitant? What's the real reason you're dodging this duel? Are you… afraid?"
The summoner's expression soured, his annoyance flaring. "Tsk." He clicked his tongue in irritation, glaring at Leonard with a mix of contempt and curiosity. "Fine. You want a duel so badly? I'll give you the chance. Even with your pathetic abilities, let's see if you're really a summoner."
Without another word, the summoner turned and hovered toward the entrance of the town, heading for the wide, open space that lay beyond. Yuna lay still on the ground, but with a flick of his wrist, the summoner called forth another golem to guard her.
Leonard followed at a cautious distance, unable to read the summoner's thoughts but acutely aware that something felt off. Why had he agreed so quickly? Was there more to this than met the eye?
He cast a glance at Yuna, her unconscious form a stark reminder of what was at stake. Whatever the summoner was planning, Leonard would need to be prepared for the next phase of his plan.
The duel was only a step toward the real objective.