Leon returned to Solfea with Eldorin at his back, the weight of grim tidings pressing heavily upon the march.

News of both the Demon Empire and the Holy Church stirring had spread like wildfire, and what little hope lingered in the aftermath of Morzeth felt increasingly fragile.

Or rather, what remained of Morzeth.

They had not reclaimed a city. Only a memory of what it was meant to be. The march back was long, and along the way, Leon heard it—the quiet, creeping shift in the world's pulse.

Murmurs of war followed them from village to village, carried in hushed conversations and fearful glances. The common folk, those who would bear the true cost of what was to come, had already begun preparing in their own ways.

Some packed their belongings, ready to disappear into whatever refuge they could find.

Some prayed. Some wept. And some… welcomed it.

There were those who cheered at the thought of war, emboldened by tales of victory, blind to the price such victories demanded.

But beneath all of it, one truth remained constant.

Many would die.

Leon heard it all, saw it all—and rejected it.

Perhaps it was naive. Perhaps it was foolish. But he refused to accept a world where such loss was inevitable.

He wanted peace.

Not as an abstract ideal, but as something tangible.

Something worth fighting for.

The people who waved as he passed, their eyes filled with admiration as they called him a hero… The young girl who shyly approached him, offering a single flower with trembling hands… There was no promise they would survive what was coming.

And that, more than any enemy, weighed on him.

So when the golden wheat fields of Solfea finally came into view, swaying gently beneath the sun, Leon felt something loosen within his chest.

The familiar scent of harvest, the quiet rhythm of the land—it brought with it a sense of calm he hadn't realised he needed. For a fleeting moment, he could breathe. But more than that, he was not alone.

As he crossed into the heart of Solfea, leaving behind the echoes of war for just a moment longer, he was met by the one person who could steady his thoughts… and perhaps, help him carry what came next.

"Amon."

"Leon."

The two Solaris Heroes embraced each other, like true brothers who had returned from war. Before they parted, they were two mortals. But as they reunited, they had both become divines.

Amon absorbed the Titan King's core and directly accepted his own divinity. Not only that, with the Will of Heaven on his side, it was only a matter of time before he ascended to heaven to challenge the Goddess.

As for Leon, he did something even more stunning. He found his own path to becoming divine. As someone who was already slated to join Amon's Pantheon, he had his throne promised long ago. But Leon exceeded all expectations and took his own steps to becoming divine.

In due time, he would grow even stronger and perhaps truly hold the mantle of humanity's greatest protector.

"You've ascended."

"It's only because you've shown me the way."

"Heh."

Amon slammed hard on Leon's back before turning with him towards his own private gardens. Despite having met each other less than a month ago, there were thousands of things they could share. From the upcoming war with the Demon Empire and the Holy Church, to Leon's recent mission to liberate Morzeth.

There were plenty of things to discuss, but…

"Amon, I need some counselling."

"Hmmm? Shoot."

Amon raised his brow at the rare request. It wasn't often that Leon would come to him for help. And it was even rarer for him to request a life-counsellor.

"This war… is it unavoidable?"

"... evidently it is."

"Why? Why do the Demon Empire and the Goddess wish to have our heads?"

"..."

Amon had no answer. Or rather, he was looking for the best way to reply to Leon.

"You know… sometimes I wonder if it's worth us fighting this meaningless war. If we surrender, would we save more lives? If we allowed the Goddess to reign supreme, would humanity prosper?"

"You know those are all too idealistic. Even if we do surrender without a fight, we would be leaving the fate of humanity to the Demon King and the Goddess… and they won't act in our best interests."

It was just common sense.

Why does Eldorin fight so hard?

Against the Demon Cult, then the Demon Empire, and even the final boss of them all… the Goddess.

Because none of those entities fought for humanity's best interests.

If the Demon Empire won, they would enslave or even commit genocide against humanity. Amon and Yue had seen that future. Humanity had to fight, even to its last breath, just to prevent that future from ever happening again.

As for the Goddess, no one really understood her intentions. Why did she open up the gates for demons to invade? Why did she hold so tightly to the mandate of heaven, even going so far as to restrain the dimension's evolution. And finally, why she descended upon the material plane to fight so bitterly against Amon's rise.

In the end, the only people who could ensure humanity's protection… were Amon and Leon.

"Yeah," Leon sighed heavily while pressing on his chest. "I just wanted to get that off my chest."

"Don't think too much," Amon reassured Leon. "Once we defeat the Demon Empire and the Holy Church, we will usher in a golden age for humanity."

"... Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Amon… I've always fought for the little guy. The common folk. Because I was once one of them."

Leon recalled his childhood, where he stayed with his parents, who were living in hiding. Back then, he had witnessed those less fortunate than he was being pushed around. Drilled by his father in chivalric duty, Leon cultivated a selfless need to protect.

Then he gained an apprenticeship with the Holy Church Paladins, where he was taught and trained in the skills to protect those he treasured.

And finally, he joined the Solaris House, the place that had given him the title of Hero.

All this time, he had been trying to live up to the name… Hero.

And for the most part, he had taken up the mantle well.

"But as I continue my growth… I began to realise… that my heart is further away from the common man than I'd expected. I'm afraid… as we become Gods. Will we forget the common man? Just like how the Goddess and the Demon King have?"

"..."

It was then that Amon understood the crux of Leon's concerns.

Leon was afraid… of change.

Or rather, changing into something that he couldn't recognise.

"I see…"

"... So? What do you think? Are we fit to lead humanity?"

"... I don't know the answer to that."

Amon answered truthfully.

If it were anyone else, Amon might have lied or spoken with absolute confidence. But with Leon, Amon knew that he couldn't pull off that trick. Nevertheless, the conviction in his voice was true.

"But, I know one thing… Leon, if you aren't qualified to lead humanity, then no one is."

"Huh?"

Leon raised his head, seemingly stunned by the sudden faith. Amon smiled straight at Leon before saying:

"I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if, if we become Gods, we would forsake the little guy to achieve the greater good. Just like the Goddess and the Demon King. But, there's one thing I have absolute confidence in… and that is Leon Solaris."

"... why?"

"Because you're the Hero. The true Hero. The one who will protect others without a care for his own life. The one with a heart of gold, one that could never be corrupted."

Amon always had faith in Leon. Not just because Leon was his favourite character from [Bright], but also because he'd spent years by his side. Watching him grow and mature from a young, idealistic boy to a hero who would do anything for the common folk.

And all this while… Leon's convictions never changed.

He will always save the unfortunate… give more than he received… and protect anyone.

That was why…

"Welcome to the Pantheon… God of Protection."

"... heh, so you knew."

"The Will of Heaven is on my side. Although I can't see clearly if someone wants to hide their divinity… yours is practically glowing."

"I see… that's good. At least my heart never wavered."

From the beginning, Leon never doubted himself. Even if the world abandoned him and scorned him, Leon would continue protecting humanity, even if it meant self-destruction.

He just… had to be certain that there was no other path to protect the most amount of people.

"If you're worried about the commonfolk… raise your divinity even further. Complete the Eighty-one Suns Heart Mantra. As you are… I'm confident you can achieve that. When that's done… your divinity will evolve to protect more people as well."

"I understand."

Leon smiled as he regained his confidence and way. But there was one final pressing question in his mind.

"Amon… what is your divinity?"

"Mine? I've yet to ascend, so I can't execute my authority to the fullest, but…"

If it were the past, he was fated to become the Moon God.

With him executing the Will of Heaven, he was also the Judicator of Heaven.

But now? After absorbing the Titan King's divinity and carving his own path, Amon had become something completely new. Something that not even the Will of Heaven had planned for.

"I'm now the God of..."