Although Leon's body had been overtaken, his consciousness remained awake, trapped within his own vessel like a spectator shackled to a chair.

It was as though he were watching a vivid, hyper-real movie projected across his own eyes, each moment seared into his memory.

The Solaris Founder now wielded his flesh and with terrifying elegance, descended upon the battlefield. Dozens of Asuras, each one a demigod of war, surged forward like an unstoppable tide. But to the Founder, they may as well have been reckless children lunging at a seasoned warrior to steal candy from his pocket.

He flowed through their attacks with inhuman precision, his movements too refined, too deliberate, to be called mere dodging.

It was more like he was navigating a cosmic rhythm only he could hear, each step disrupting the battlefield's momentum as if space itself bowed to his passage. His strikes came with earth-shattering force. The Asuras shattered like glass under his blows, as their clay bodies yielded as though reality itself warped at his fingertips.

The air trembled with each motion, the sky above dimming slightly as if mourning the fate of those who dared stand against him.

It was the Stellar Waltz, but not the one Leon had trained in.

This was a more ancient, raw iteration, untamed by modern discipline or the aesthetics of human elegance. It lacked the light-footed grace of a celestial dancer. Instead, the Founder's version was commanding, imperial.

It didn't dance with the stars—it commanded them.

Each movement asserted dominion, as if he were not a follower of the stars' rhythm, but their original composer. To Leon, it felt like witnessing the sovereignty of the sky itself, an eternal being who had never once yielded to time, gods, or fate.

"Watch carefully, junior," the Solaris Founder's voice echoed within Leon's consciousness.

"Others emulate the stars, but we don't have to. With our bodies and blessings, we are the stars. The Suns. Stellar Waltz isn't about finesse, but pure authority."

One by one, the Asuras fell. Ascalon roared with pure bliss, creating craters with every swing. The flames from its sanctified light rained like judgment hail, decimating everything that was within its circle. Some of the Asuras cried with worthless defiance, as they attempted to vaporise Leon's body with a combined effort. Unfortunately, Leon's skin had hardened, and his body was immune to all physical strikes.

"You call that a killing blow? I've fought baby Dragons whose breath is more powerful than that!"

The Solaris Founder spat and kicked the Asura away. Energy flowed from his core as he summoned the Sun in his palm. Rising to the heavens, he created a phantom image of a Golden Dragon, similar to that of Commander Gallahad of the Golden Order.

But this Golden Dragon was far more dominant… more intense.

It was as if… the Dragon itself was the Sun and its mere presence split the heavens.

"Let me show you what a Golden Dragon's Roar is really like!"

Channelling more mana than Leon could have ever control, the Solaris Founder unleashed hell on the Asura realm. Golden fire that burned like the ancient flames of origin scorched the earth, leaving nothing but dust and embers behind. Even the greatest Asuras felt the heat and they perished without showing the demigod authority.

With the Asuras gone, it was now time to finish the bout with the Left Guardian.

"Now that your underlings are gone, what are you going to do?"

Idrytis taunted the Clay God that didn't show any crack in its expression. No, it was made of clay, it didn't possess the ability to show expressions. But oddly enough, Leon could feel rage bubbling from within.

The Left Guardian's mana spiked and it formed a hand sign. The ground shook violently while the Wheel of Samsara creaked ever so slightly. It was going to use every last ounce of its mana on this final shift, and everyone felt it.

Manon, who had been preoccupied by the Right Guardian, finally broke focus and yelled at Leon: "Don't let the Left Guardian use Deva!!! You must stop it!!!"

The Sky Spear attempted to withdraw, but his path was blocked. The Right Guardian stood firm, meeting his every move with equal force and precision. Blow for blow, the two were locked in a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand nor retreat.

A flicker of unease passed through the Solaris Founder. The urgency was clear… something had changed.

The mana sustaining the Left Guardian's massive form began to unravel. The once-imposing clay shell, hardened by centuries of divine craftsmanship, started to crumble.

It began with the limbs, arms and legs cracked, then collapsed into fragments of earth. The fissures then spread across the torso, breaking it apart like dried riverbed clay under the sun. Chunks of its chest caved in and fell to the ground in thunderous cascades, until only the head remained intact, eerily suspended midair by the floating Wheel of Samsara behind it.

And then, with a soundless shift, the last remnants of willpower inside the Guardian seemed to flicker. As the mana fully dissipated and the wheel began to dim, Leon's breath caught in his throat.

Just before the end, he could've sworn—no, he was certain—that the Left Guardian's eternally expressionless face twisted ever so slightly… into a smile.

And then… the world changed once more.

The scorched battlefield of the Asura Realm, littered with broken spears, shattered swords, and echoes of relentless fury, vanished in an instant. In its place bloomed a sanctuary of divinity.

Billowing clouds of purest white drifted across a sky painted in soft gold, and the air was filled with the delicate harmony of ethereal hymns. Arcing rainbows shimmered like bridges to higher realms, while doves imbued with the sacred essence of the Deva Realm soared gracefully through the air, trailing radiant light in their wake.

From the sky descended a majestic citadel, sculpted from pristine white marble that gleamed with celestial light. Its towering spires pierced the heavens, while its base rested amidst a paradise of divine beauty.

Around Leon, a garden unfolded, lush and vibrant, filled with flora that shimmered like stardust and bloomed with the brilliance of miniature suns. Crystal-clear fountains bubbled with holy water, their melodies blending seamlessly with the heavenly choir.

And in the centre of it all, Leon stood alone.

Before him, at the heart of this sacred dreamscape, was a golden table flanked by two ornate chairs. Its surface glowed faintly, inviting yet solemn, as though awaiting a conversation that transcended mortality.

"F-Founder?"

When transferred into this realm, Leon had regained control over his body. The Solaris Founder, once rambunctious and lively, was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that was present in this ethereal realm was his consciousness.

"Tea?"

A kind voice broke the unsettling silence.

Leon pivoted back, only to see a young boy smiling gently at him. In his hands were a teapot and two cups, both of which he placed on the golden table with controlled ease.

"Y-You are… The Clay Emperor?"

"Oh my, you recognised me quickly."

The Clay Emperor let out a deep, amused laugh as he gracefully poured the fragrant tea into the delicate cups. The aroma that wafted through the air was unlike anything Leon had ever encountered. It wasn't just a scent, it was an experience.

It carried the essence of heaven's bloom, as if every flower from the celestial gardens had been carefully plucked, dried under divine light, and crushed into the finest tea leaves known to existence. The fragrance danced on the air, rich and soothing, filling Leon's senses with a warmth that bordered on the sacred.

"Please, just call me Justus."

The Clay Emperor took a seat and gestured for Leon to follow suit. Sensing no hostility, the young Hero carefully edged closer and took his place in front of the ancient Emperor. The Clay Emperor's eyes glistened as he gently pushed a teacup before Leon.

"Try a sip. It's the best brew in this garden."

"..."

"It's not poisoned, don't worry."

"Can you blame me for suspecting?"

Leon scoffed before pushing the teacup away, as much as it pained him to do so. They had just come from a deadly battle where the Clay Emperor was taken over by the Demon Cult and sent all of his forces to eradicate his comrades. There was no way Leon would let his guard down so easily.

"Clay Emperor… Justus. Where are we?"

"We're in my Deva realm. A world of my making."

The Clay Emperor seemed disappointed that Leon turned down his offer, but he didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, he welcomed Leon's curiosity and was ready to answer any questions the young man might have.

"Are you… still being controlled?"

"Not here," Justus replied with a negative.

"I understand why Manon was worried about the Left Guardian summoning the Deva realm. In this realm, I reign supreme. If the outsiders took my mind completely, you wouldn't have stood a chance. My body would have destroyed all of you instantaneously. But… luckily for you, I still retain some of my sanity."

The Clay Emperor reassured Leon, but the young man still wasn't convinced after all, who knew if those were his words or Zuphil controlling him.

But as Leon examined the calm and collected figure, the more his suspicions wavered. There was no hint of corruption in the Clay Emperor's body, and his demeanour was just as regal as Manon had described.

"Well… If I were still alive, my remnant consciousness wouldn't have been taken over this easily."

"Justus… are you not alive?"

"..."

The ancient Emperor didn't speak. He just smiled and watched Leon's face, breaking into a slight chuckle.

"No, I'm not alive. That body you saw… it was nothing more than a shell. Unlike Manon, I'm not a perfected clay creation, but a real human being. My body had decayed aeons ago."

"T-Then!"

"I'd just retained a piece of my soul to house my subjects. To keep them corruption-free and outside the flow of fate. But alas… Nothing lasts forever."

Time decays everything.

No matter how powerful the Clay Emperor was in his prime and how prepared he was to protect his subjects… His power had a limit.

"It's a miracle I lasted this long," Justus laughed.

"But my role now… is complete. I've lost the war for the mandate of heaven, but I managed to shelter my people from the great catastrophe that followed. Now, all I can do is release their souls and allow them to enter the cycle of reincarnation."

The Clay Emperor wore a satisfied smile as he sipped on the tea before him. Through that one conversation, Leon could deduce multiple things, and a million questions came up. But one thing was clear… The Clay Emperor's existence was ending.

"You're leaving?"

"My existence was meant to have perished aeons ago. I'd just held on as a fossil, frozen in time and existence. Luckily, you were the one who found me. At the very least, the last pages of my legacy wouldn't be of carnage and chaos. But giving peace to my people."

"Luck?"

Was it luck? Of course not!

Amon was the one who guided Leon to this very place. It was as if he knew everything that was going to occur and was placing Leon in the best position to be of use. And well…

"Benefactor… I know it's selfish of me to ask, but… Would you be kind enough to let my people go free?"

"Free?"

"Yes," the Clay Emperor smiled as if knowing Leon's answer. "I will release their souls, and they will join the cycle of reincarnation themselves. All I ask from you is not to capture them and let them pass on in peace."

"... If that's all that you're asking for."

"Great, I knew I could count on you."

Justus didn't tell Leon, but he'd read his soul the moment Leon entered the Deva realm. That was how he could feel at ease with handing over the fate of his million subjects to this stranger's hands.

"I will proceed to destroy El Dorado and all of my constructs. I don't want any of my creations to harm any living soul anymore."

"... Justus."

As the Clay Emperor said those words, the majesty of the Deva Realm cracked as the Wheel of Samsara spun to its final destination.

Manushya: The Path of Humans.

At that moment, all of the Sekhmet Empire's souls could be seen as the chains that bound them cracked violently. Freed from their slumber, it took them a second to figure out what was going on. Many of them fell to their knees, weeping as they thanked their Emperor. They gave him worship and love the likes of which Leon had never seen before.

As for the Clay Emperor… Justus…

His soul was slowly fading away. The last mana had been spent protecting his subjects, and there was nothing left for him to use. His existence, something that had survived since the Primordial Era, was now making its way into an eternal slumber.

"Ah, I do have another selfish request."

"..."

"Manon, that child… Do take care of him. He gets lonely easily."

"..."

Like a father who can't let go of his precious children, the Clay Emperor smiled radiantly until Leon agreed with a nod. And with that, he vanished.

Eternally displaced from the material realm.

Leon sat in a daze before taking the teacup before him and downing it in a single gulp.

And that cup… was the best tea he would ever have.