CHAPTER 58: EX 58. HORIZON CLEAVE

Leon’s eyes widened as the list of evolvable items appeared before him:

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[Crimson Fang Blade]+

[Mirror Split]+

[Ironshade Warplate]+

[Phantom Edge – Form 1: Flicker Fang]+

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At first glance, it looked normal—clean, organized, and system-standard.

But to Leon, it was far from comforting.

There were no previews, no hints, no descriptions of what each evolution would become. Just a single glowing ’+’ beside each item.

It was like reaching into a box and hoping to pull out a blade instead of a bomb. He didn’t like that—leaving things to luck.

Especially not now.

Just as he clenched his jaw, still deliberating, a low snarl echoed across the chamber. The Cerberus, pushed back once before, had risen again—shaking rubble from its fur, three pairs of burning red eyes locked onto Leon with pure, unfiltered rage.

It didn’t care what Leon was or how he had hurt it.

It just knew it wanted to kill him.

Then the beast opened its mouths—all three at once—as black energy swirled within, condensing into a massive, unstable sphere of crackling death.

Leon’s heart pounded, his instincts screamed.

He had no time left to gamble. No time to weigh choices.

"Damn it... I’ll take the risk."

With a thought, he selected the evolution for his Phantom Edge – Form 1: Flicker Fang. The ’+’ signs beside all four entries disappeared instantly, locking him out of the others for now.

And then it hit him.

A wave of knowledge, like a pulse of ancient martial memory, surged through his brain. The world blurred for a heartbeat as he digested the influx of information.

Then—clarity.

The evolved form of his skill materialized in his status:

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[Phantom Edge – Form 2: Horizon Cleave]

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If Flicker Fang was speed incarnate, then Horizon Cleave was its devastating twin—distance and destruction made manifest.

He felt it immediately: the power behind it was still classified as F-Rank Tier VII, but somehow, it didn’t feel like it.

The pressure it exuded... it felt like it belonged to a skill several tiers higher.

Across from him, the Cerberus finished charging its attack. The air warped with dark energy as the beast let out a ground-shaking roar and launched the enormous sphere directly at him. Black lightning crackled around the edges as it tore through the space between them.

Leon didn’t flinch.

His sword lifted high, his stance firm. His eyes locked onto the incoming death orb with absolute calm. His voice, low and sharp, cut through the charging storm.

"Phantom Edge – Form 2..."

The sphere surged closer.

As Leon’s sword came down like judgment.

"...Horizon Cleave!"

A crimson arc of pure aura burst from his blade—colossal, sharp, and blistering with refined power. It slammed into the incoming sphere—splitting it clean in half—then tore forward without slowing.

The Cerberus had no time to dodge.

As the red blade carved through the beast’s left shoulder, splitting deep between its left and center heads. Blood erupted like a geyser as the massive hound was launched into the air, smashing into the wall of the hallway with a thunderous impact.

The ground shook as dust filled the air.

Leon remained still, sword pointed downward, the afterimage of his slash still flickering like an ember in the air. He felt something shift within him.

His body wavered.

His vitality stat, which had held him together through the battle, finally returned to normal. The boost from his earlier point burn was gone.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Because as he looked at the gory crater where the Cerberus had fallen, unmoving and broken—

Leon knew he’d already won.

****

Adrian stood frozen for a moment, his wide eyes fixed on the wreckage that was once the fearsome Cerberus. The beast was nearly torn in two—one of its heads gone, blood splattered across the ruined chamber from the devastating Horizon Cleave.

It was a scene straight out of a nightmare, and yet Leon stood over it like it was just another Tuesday.

Adrian’s grip on Elizabeth unconsciously tightened—not out of fear, but disbelief.

He had witnessed every second of that battle, from the furious collisions to the final thunderous strike, and no matter how he played it over in his head, he couldn’t imagine himself surviving the first two exchanges.

He muttered under his breath without thinking, "What a fucking monster..." as he approached Leon, still cradling the sleeping form of Elizabeth.

Leon glanced down at the twitching Cerberus. Despite the gaping wound between its heads and the missing third head, it still hadn’t died. "It’s really tenacious," he muttered.

Adrian finally caught up to him, brows furrowed. "Why didn’t you use that attack from the beginning?"

Leon didn’t flinch. He met Adrian’s gaze and shrugged with a poker face. "It’s a new skill I just learned. I’m not sure I can use it again anytime soon."

It wasn’t a lie.

Phantom Edge – Form 2: Horizon Cleave was still there, usable. But without his overboosted vitality, the raw force he could channel into it was significantly reduced. That peak performance? It had been a one-time miracle. For now.

Adrian nodded slowly, not fully convinced but too tired to press. He looked at the downed Cerberus, twitching in its final moments.

Leon didn’t hesitate.

He raised his sword once more, then brought it down with a clean, final strike and with a swift flick of his hand, he stored the corpse in his inventory.

"Let’s get this override running," Leon said, turning toward Adrian.

"Alright," Adrian replied, shifting slightly to move ahead—

But he suddenly froze as a firm hand clapped down on his shoulder.

He turned back, confused. "What is it?"

Leon gave him a blank expression.

"Your hands must be killing you. Just hand Lizzie over so you can rest your arms."

Adrian stared at him.

There was silence.

Then a long, slow blink.

He looked down at Elizabeth in his arms... then at Leon... then back again.

And finally, with a blank expression of his own, he handed her over.

"Between me and you," Adrian muttered under his breath, "whose damn arms should be in pain?"

Leon didn’t respond. He simply adjusted Elizabeth gently in his grasp.

Adrian shook his head at the sight as he walked forward to lead the way, sighing internally.

"Are all strong people this shameless...?"

He didn’t get an answer.

Just the sound of Leon following behind—like nothing had happened.

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A/N: Thanks for reading and what do you guys think about the fight between Leon and the Cerebrus.

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