As the Clay Emperor vanished from the world, so did the figures wreaking havoc within El Dorado. Peace quickly returned to the golden city as the mayhem stopped abruptly. Manon, who was fighting the Right Guardian, watched with regret as the clay god crumbled away like fading sands in an hourglass.

"Rest well, my brother…"

Holding onto his spear tightly, the ancient man held back his tears as the world he once knew disappeared before his very eyes.

On the other side, Ellahan was shifting her head frantically, trying desperately to find any trace of her missing lover. Her emerald eyes gradually turned misty as she couldn't gather any sense of Leon's mana signature, and she feared the worst.

But as the golden city turned into sand, a crack in the fabric of spacetime formed, and a familiar warmth tickled the young Saintess's skin. Holding back tears, she rushed over to welcome the fatigued blonde-haired Hero, who tumbled out of the crack with a heavy expression.

He no longer had black hair as the Solaris mana within his soul receded into Ascalon, and Leon reverted to his original appearance. A blonde-haired Adonis with primordial blue eyes that replicated the ocean's earliest waters.

"L-Leon! A-Are you okay?!"

"... Ella."

As she heard the familiar voice and heartbeat, Ellahan's face beamed with relief. Just by that one word, she knew that her lover was back. It wasn't a spirit that took over him… It was the Leon whom she knew and loved.

"What took you so long?!"

Ellahan gently pounded Leon's chest whilst in his embrace. Facing his lover's adorable protest, Leon gave her full rein to do as she pleased, even though he was fatigued, battered and bruised. Sighing, he said:

"I'm sorry, I was brought before the Clay Emperor."

"A-And you won?!"

"No, not exactly."

Leon spoke of his interaction with the Clay Emperor in front of all his comrades, including Manon, who listened from the side. Their expressions hardened gradually, and in time, their hearts felt a deep sense of reverence and condolence for the departed emperor.

"Even in death… he thinks about his people."

Eris bit the bottom of her lips until they bled. She was the one who had the most profound misunderstanding of the Clay Emperor, thinking that he was nothing more than an aristocrat who didn't care about his people. But as it turned out, he was the most loving and giving sovereign she'd ever met.

She glanced sideways at Manon, who was standing solemnly over Leon's seated body as he relished his liege's final moments through Leon's account.

"His Majesty… He didn't have to do that…"

Manon hoped… he prayed… that there would be a path in the future where the Sekhmet Empire would rise again, and that the Clay Emperor's dynasty would reign for a million years. But, pity… Time was the ultimate dynasty killer.

Even the mighty Clay Emperor, a being that fought for the Mandate of Heaven, wasn't immune to the slipping sands of time.

"In the end, the Clay Emperor… Justus… He managed to break free of the Demon Cult's influence by summoning the Deva realm. However, by then, the corruption of the Demon Cult had become too ingrained. The only thing he could do was free his people with what remains of his soul."

One had to remember, even before Leon arrived at Olavaguel, the Demon Cult had been actively trying to corrupt the Clay Emperor and El Dorado, to rouse the ancient monster out of his eternal slumber.

It was practically impossible for Leon or anyone else to reverse those effects.

"He was a noble emperor…"

Fenric remarked, drawing nods from Gale and Adelia. Only Eris had her eyes fixated on Manon, who was staring blankly into the air.

"Leon… What were His Majesty's final words?"

The young Hero took a long, hard look at the ancient spearman. Knowing that his following words were going to harm Manon, Leon took a moment to consider if he should divulge them. But, in the end, he opted for the truth.

"Justus, he… told me to look after you. He said that you got lonely easily."

"Your Majesty…"

Manon held himself back from laughing, but he couldn't stop. Using his palm to cover his eyes, the Sky Spear let loose as tears dripped down his face.

"I swear… I will kill all of those Demon bastards! Until not a single one is left in this world! I will do everything I can to eradicate their existence!!!"

Manon's words shook the spectators to their core, as they felt a burst of wrath that would take on entire armies. Manon—the Sky Spear—was a being that could fight toe-to-toe against Clay Gods, and he was likely equal to old monsters like Alrock Solaris.

For such a monster to be targeting the Demon Cult… it was a blessing for Eldorin and Leon.

"Sir Manon, there was one other thing that Justus… His Majesty asked me to do."

"What was it?"

"He told me to give the subjects of the Sekhmet Empire safe passage to the afterlife. While they would pass on without our interference, Ella and Eris should be able to give them a warm farewell."

To let departed souls pass, there was no one better than the Saintess of the Holy Church, and a Necromancer who specialised in giving souls peace. If both of them joined forces, the million souls would be able to find eternal peace.

"Yes… Yes, that would be good."

Manon transformed his golden spear back to its bell form for the final time. Its chime rang through the musky halls of El Dorado as the million souls that were freed from the Clay Emperor's seal started reforming in front of the group.

Many of them were commoners—farmers and labourers who were caught in the middle of the cataclysm. Some of them were young children, never able to taste the fruit of adulthood and cursed to live forever in the soul of a child.

But that all changes today.

"My friends… His Majesty has decreed… May you rest well… forever."

With a final chime, Manon released his control over the souls. Ellahan and Eris rushed, with the Saintess creating a sanctum of healing and warmth. Most souls who were injured or had remnants of the ancient curse were cleansed thoroughly and prepared for their final rest.

As for Eris, she created a domain that eased the passage of the dead.

Most of them were ancient souls and had no idea how to move on to the next realm—lost sheep without a shepherd. But with Eris's guidance, they could now follow a path.

They couldn't speak, but their contented faces were enough to convey their feelings.

Slowly, the million souls disappeared like passing snow in winter, and before long, the crowded scene of El Dorado was replaced by a serenity never seen in thousands of years. And within that lonely scene… was Manon.

"..."

Although he was silent, Leon got some idea of what the ancient man's thoughts were.

Without the Clay Emperor, El Dorado, and the souls of the Sekhmet Empire… he was just a displaced entity in an unfamiliar time. He had no ties to the current Hyades Republic and was sure to be ostracised for his absurd power and lack of common sense.

Essentially, he was a fish out of water.

"Sir Manon… What are your plans now?"

"I'll hunt the Demon Cult! To get vengeance for His Majesty!"

"I understand… but you're not entirely familiar with this new land, are you? It would be difficult for you to hunt the Demon Cult on your own."

"T-That is.. True…"

"Then, how about you join us? Join Eldorin."

Leon extended his hand and invited the ancient man into the Knight Order, much to the surprise of everyone present. Even Manon didn't know what to make sense of it, as he raised his brow in confusion.

"You want me… to join you?"

"Yes," Leon nodded once more, his mind set on convincing Manon. "Our goals align. Eldorin was created with the sole purpose of hunting the Demon Cult. We've been actively recruiting strong members to fill that role, and many of our members have personal vendettas against the Demon Cult. And it just so happens that you fit the bill."

Leon wasn't lying.

While most of the Eldorin members were recruited by Amon and Yue, Leon knew all of their backstories.

The Demon Cult burned down Fenric's temple, Bane was forced out of his organisation because he was investigating the Demon Cult's influence in the Hyades Republic, and even Eris was affected by the dastardly organisation in various ways.

A group of ragtag individuals aggrieved by the Demon Cult. They were the perfect fighting force against the enigmatic organisation, which seemed to double in manpower each time they fought.

Manon was the perfect choice to join such a team.

"Of course, I would need to get authorisation from our Commander, but I doubt he would disapprove."

"... even with your strength, there's someone above you?"

"Haha, that strength isn't mine."

Leon scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed that Manon was misidentifying the Solaris Founder's might as his own. Ever since the Clay Emperor forcibly brought Leon into the Deva realm, Idrytis Solaris's consciousness had fallen back into Ascalon, and it seemed that it would take a tall order to resummon him again.

Nevertheless, Leon was grateful that the rambunctious Solaris Founder had finally quietened down. If he continued to wreak havoc with Leon's body, who knew what kind of damage he would leave?

"But yes, there is someone who is above me… far more."

"Heuh… I'm looking forward to meeting that person then."

"Don't worry, he won't disappoint you."

And that was how Leon attracted the Sky Spear… history's most powerful spearman, into the Hero party.