Deafening footsteps echoed while empty air swept through the dungeon Leon stood in.

He wiped the blood off his face with his forearm, then looked straight at the dark bodies rushing toward him.

"Even if I have to die." He said in a low voice, then exhaled once. "I will die with all of you."

In the distance, Aurelian smiled, then vanished, turning into countless black-and-white feathers which spun in the air.

"AURELIAN!" Leon screamed so hard that dust began falling from the ceiling, causing the Syrs to stop for a second before continuing to move forward.

Leon took in a deep breath, then pulled out the two war discs from his back.

When he spread his arms apart, the silver-bladed surface transformed into gold as light seeped out of Leon’s veins and snaked around the discs.

Without hesitation, Leon dashed forward into the wave of Syrs and cut through them like trimming weeds.

Every single Syr the war disc’s blade touched sent shockwaves through Leon’s bones, but he didn’t stop or pause.

The first line of the second wave slammed Leon down so hard that he felt all the bones in his body shatter beyond recovery.

Sharp gasps flew over him as the Syrs piled on top of him, slamming their huge fists into every part of Leon’s body. One dislocated Leon’s cheek, one caused his eyes to redden in an instant, and the other caused the black armor he wore to glow in rainbow colors, while blood splashed out of his mouth.

When the Syrs moved back after Leon’s body had turned numb and turned to head back, he moved a finger.

Just as the finger fell back on the bloodied ground, the opal glow drifted from the ceiling, the left wall, and the right, then rushed into Leon’s body.

The two Syrs who remained behind saw the glow but ignored it and turned, following the others who were now a few distances away.

As soon as the two Syrs reached a stone-table formation, a rolling gold light rushed through them, then got stuck as it struck the wall ahead.

The Syrs froze for a moment, stared at each other with confused glances, before visible lines appeared on their bodies.

Blood gushed out of their chests as they slid sideways and dropped to the ground, leaving only their waists and half-stomachs standing.

The last two Syrs saw the glow entering Leon’s body, but ignored it and continued moving. As soon as they moved past a rock table formation, their bodies got separated into perfect halves.

When the blood-plopping sound caught the other Syrs’ attention, the two war discs pulled themselves out of the wall and flew at high speed toward Leon’s direction.

For a few seconds, as the discs struck through the air, Leon’s hands shot up and caught them. The arms remained in the air for a second before he got raised like a chopped tree being pulled with a rope.

As soon as the base of his boots touched the ground, the fiery glow on the discs intensified when his eyes blazed with a devilish power.

Three Syrs dashed toward him at a speed faster than light, but Leon saw them as if watching turtles in a race. He waited for them to reach him before sidestepping.

When everything returned to normal, the Syrs were scattered on the ground in tiny pieces.

The remaining Syrs charged toward Leon at full speed and strength, but ended up getting ripped apart mercilessly.

When the last Syr collapsed and crumpled at Leon’s feet, he also collapsed on one knee as the raging golden energy burned out.

Sweat dripped from his face while sharp breaths exited from his mouth and nose. Evaporated air flew around him like smoke, and when he forcefully pushed himself up, his vision darkened for two seconds before becoming normal.

He pushed himself forward and crossed the stone pillars that were holding the dungeon together. The more he went forward, the deeper and quieter the dungeon became.

Just as he walked past the seventh pillar, shadows streaked on the floor as burning torchlight lingered on the walls and stretched ahead.

A few minutes after Leon crossed countless torches while pressing his left rib, he saw two humanoid shadows on the wall. One seemed to be sitting on the ground while the other’s long arms raised and dropped on the one on the ground.

Leon swallowed the pain and doubled his steps, but after entering a small room, he dropped to his knees.

Liu Yan was lying on a bloodstained ground, while Aurelian loomed over her, holding Liu Yan’s own sword, which kept going up and slamming down on her knees.

The first swing sent Liu Yan’s right leg off her body, while the second cracked the bones in her left.

"NO! Please stop!" Leon screamed as he slowly pushed himself from the ground, neglecting the pain rattling through his heart.

Aurelian turned his head slowly and smiled as he watched Leon struggling to walk.

"You’re too late." He said and dropped the sword on Liu Yan’s left leg, chopping off the leg and leaving her with shortened legs.

"You bastard!" Leon screamed when he managed to stand, then dashed forward, his fingers trembling at the war disc’s handles.

"I told you to be fast, but you didn’t listen," Aurelian said, then moved a step away from Liu Yan. He dropped Liu Yan’s sword by her side, spread his arms, then closed his eyes, keeping a warm smile on his face. "Come on, give me all you got."

As soon as Leon reached him and swung the war disc, the blade swung through black and white feathers that burst out from Aurelian’s body and scattered around Leon and Liu Yan.

"WHERE ARE YOU, COWARD!" Leon screamed as he whirled around, striking the war disc through the feathers until his knees buckled and caused him to collapse beside Liu Yan.

When Leon’s eyes fell on Liu Yan’s severed legs that were bleeding quickly, he unwrapped the red cloth from his neck, tore it into two pieces with his teeth, and then wrapped each one tightly around the remaining thighs.

Leon pulled the knots until the flow of blood slowed.

"Hey, hey, Liu Yan." He called out while giving Liu Yan two soft slaps on the face. "Look at me. Hey, hey."

Liu Yan’s eyes blinked open once, twice, then on the third time, when her eyes tried to close again, Leon added another slap.

"I’m here. I’ve got you." Leon wrapped his arms around her and embraced Liu Yan’s slowly dying body in a tight embrace.

Liu Yan looked at Leon in a confused manner as she knew nothing of him and had never met him before. Then, when the memories of the Madhouse squad the night before they left Agatha Special Force flashed into her head, tears began dripping from her soulless eyes.

Without wasting much time, Leon removed the broken sword from his back and hung it at his left side, then carried Liu Yan on his back.

He grabbed Liu Yan’s bloodied sword, hung it at the top of Wu Ze’s broken sword, then hung An Lang’s war disc at the right side of his waist.

"Hold on, Liu Yan." He said and set out into a run. "You won’t die under my watch!"