Mephisto's hoarse, low voice echoed in the air, reaching everyone's ears.
"How arrogant, Mephisto," Leon said softly, his eyes lifting to meet the demon's gaze as Mephisto hovered above. Leon's hair swayed slightly in the wind, his calm demeanor contrasting with the rising tension.
"You human brat—" Mephisto began, but Leon wasn't interested in hearing any more from him.
Without hesitation, Leon raised his hand and waved it dismissively. In his mind, he communicated with Keisha, "Keisha, block the space in this area. I don't want this guy slipping away."
"Yes, Captain Leon. Activating space blockade. The area within nine thousand meters will be isolated. Only god-level entities can break through," Keisha responded.
A soft hum filled the air as strange space fluctuations rippled outward. Mephisto, sharp and ever watchful, noticed the shift immediately. His eyes narrowed as he glanced around, assessing the situation and the human he had originally thought was merely a promising talent.
"You blocked the space? This strange power... even I didn't sense it at first," Mephisto muttered, intrigued.
Despite the space being sealed, Mephisto felt no panic. As a demon king who had lived for countless millennia, he had faced innumerable schemes and hopeless situations in the depths of hell, only to emerge victorious each time. He had claimed the throne of Satan, becoming the ruler of hell itself.
This projection of his soul might be destroyed, but the loss wouldn't be catastrophic. His true body would remain unharmed, and he would recover over time. What truly piqued his interest was Leon's ability to cast such a flawless space blockade.
At his level, much could be understood in an instant—even the threads of fate. It was no wonder beings like Mephisto, classified as Skyfather-level, were referred to as gods. They had touched upon the realms of omniscience and omnipotence.
And now, Mephisto was beginning to see that Leon was no ordinary human.
The more beings like Mephisto understand the world, the more they develop a unique mentality—one centered around control. They can easily foresee the general flow of events and, if they can peer into someone's future, believe they have the power to control it all. This mindset, however, makes them particularly reactive to anything unknown, dangerous, or beyond their grasp.
Mephisto, despite seeing Leon as a powerful and exceptional human, couldn't shake the suspicion that the space-blocking power Leon displayed wasn't his own. It felt out of place.
"Let's make a deal," Mephisto said, trying to lure Leon in with one of his trademark propositions. But Leon wasn't having it. He tilted his head slightly, cutting Mephisto off mid-sentence.
"The look in your eyes... that malice is irritating," Leon said softly, his voice steady but cold.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a golden light erupted from Leon's body, transforming into countless shimmering particles that shot toward Mephisto. Before the demon lord could react, the golden particles re-formed into Leon, who now stood face-to-face with him—less than a meter apart.
Though Mephisto towered over Leon in his nearly two-meter demon form, there was no doubt that Leon's presence was just as imposing. For a brief moment, Mephisto tried again, beginning to speak, "Child—"
But before he could finish, his eyes widened. A glowing, golden foot was already swinging toward his head.
The attack came too fast. Even Mephisto, with his billions of years of experience, couldn't react in time.
Boom!
The impact slammed into Mephisto's cheek with tremendous force, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Mephisto flew through the air like a cannonball, trailing a long streak of golden energy, before crashing into the ground with an earth-shaking explosion. Dust and smoke billowed into the sky as his impact created a hundred-meter-wide crater.
In the distance, Wanda, Pietro, and Sumarokov quickly retreated from the central battle zone, positioning themselves near the RV where Jeff and the others were waiting. Their first priority was to evacuate the area, but they also aimed to protect their friends from any stray attacks.
When Wanda and the others appeared beside the RV, Jeff and his group were momentarily startled—having been ready to put on oxygen masks in fear of the battle. But once they recognized who it was, their anxiety quickly turned to excitement.
"Wanda, that was amazing! Was that red energy your power? Can you make those giant arms appear again? You were so cool, I thought I was going to faint!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Wanda, you're perfect! I'm totally in love with you now!" another chimed in.
"Pietro, Sumarokov, you guys have been holding out on us, haven't you?" one of the boys shouted. "When we were playing games before, you must've sensed something was off! You said your car broke down, but you were really tracking that monster to protect us, weren't you? Oh my god, I love you all so much—it's like you're heroes straight out of a movie!"
Their admiration was overwhelming, with excited eyes practically glowing with awe. Pietro, always the playful and boastful one, soaked up the attention. He struck a confident pose, lowered his voice for effect, and said coolly, "We're just the vanguard in the darkness."
"It's our duty to fight against the darkness and protect the world," Pietro said, his voice filled with a sense of purpose. As thunder cracked overhead, his face, illuminated by flashes of lightning, seemed to match the gravity of his words. Jeff and the others were already fully sold on the idea—several even clutched their chests, on the verge of fainting from how cool he looked.
He was so striking that a few of the younger girls in the RV nearly flung open the door to run into his arms. Pietro, catching sight of their admiring expressions, felt an immense sense of satisfaction that almost made him burst with pride.
Meanwhile, Wanda and Sumarokov stood to the side, rolling their eyes at Pietro's dramatics, but they were too tired to call him out on it. Wanda, in particular, was more focused on the ongoing battle. A massive storm raged just beyond them, though they were shielded by an invisible barrier.
Her eyes glowed red as she observed the battlefield with growing surprise. She knew that Leon had blocked off the space within a ten-thousand-meter radius, and while she had some understanding of his powers, this level of control was astonishing. She made a mental note to ask him later, though she knew she'd have to tread carefully. Leon did have a tendency to spoil the younger ones—especially the girls.
She smirked to herself, amused at the thought.