The moon cast a ghostly light over Kuoh Town, turning the trees into silent watchers. The clearing near the abandoned church buzzed with tension as three black-winged figures landed lightly on the grass, their dark auras flickering like fire.
In the lead stood Raynare, her beauty striking—raven-black hair, violet eyes gleaming with malice, and a twisted smirk on her lips.
"Well, well… the mysterious swordsman protecting a little nun. Cute." She licked her lips. "Let's see what makes you so interesting."
Leon stepped forward, his expression unreadable. His long coat fluttered behind him, Yamato at his hip, and the crimson Boosted Gear glowing ominously on his arm.
"I'm only going to say this once," he said, voice cold. "Leave."
One of her underlings laughed. "Or what? You'll cut us with that toothpick?"
They never saw the blade move.
In a heartbeat, the man's body hit the ground—his head still in the air.
The second grunt screamed and launched a bolt of light toward Leon.
[Boost]
The crimson gauntlet pulsed with raw energy.
Leon disappeared, reappearing beside the second grunt. One blow—his clawed hand crushing the man's chest—snuffed the life out of him like a candle.
Raynare's smirk vanished.
"You're… not human," she breathed.
Leon turned his eyes on her—calm, empty, like a bottomless abyss.
"No," he said, walking toward her. "And you're not a threat."
Raynare launched a flurry of dark spears—fast, precise. But to Leon, it was like watching raindrops fall in slow motion.
He sidestepped each one effortlessly. Then he was in front of her.
She barely raised a hand before his fingers wrapped around her throat and slammed her against a tree.
She gasped, choking. Her wings flailed behind her.
"W-Wait—!"
Leon tightened his grip.
"I could kill you," he whispered. "But I see something more useful."
He locked eyes with her—his gaze piercing into her soul, overwhelming her with pressure, like a god peering into an insect's heart.
"You crave power. Validation. Control. But you're weak."
Raynare trembled in his grasp.
"You think your wings make you superior? You think fear makes you strong?"
He released her.
She collapsed to her knees, gasping.
Leon turned his back.
"Submit," he said without looking at her. "Or die like the others."
She hesitated—tears in her eyes, pride shattered.
"…Yes… Master."
Leon didn't smile. He didn't gloat.
He simply nodded.
"Then listen well, Raynare. From this moment on, you live to serve me. You will obey. You will learn. And if you betray me…" He glanced over his shoulder, eyes glowing crimson.
"I won't kill you. I'll erase you."
Raynare bowed her head, her wings folding behind her.
"…Yes, Master."
Later That Night – Abandoned Church
Asia peered from the doorway as Leon returned, now followed by a dark-haired woman in a maid outfit conjured by Leon's will alone—a sign of his dominance over her.
"Who is… she?" Asia asked nervously.
Leon walked past her, pausing only to say: "A servant. Nothing more."
Raynare knelt silently, eyes on the ground, her voice soft.
"Lady Asia. I… will not harm you."
Asia blinked in surprise.
Leon didn't explain.
Because some truths were best left unsaid.