CHAPTER 223: CHAPTER 223- CHAOTIC

Leo’s grin faded, replaced by a calculating glare. His breathing steadied as frost misted from his lips. ’They’re moving in sync... annoying.’

He flexed his clawed hand, feeling the pulse of power rush beneath his armored skin. ’If I want to end this quickly, I’ll need to tear them apart.’

Julian and Zoe circled him, their movements perfectly timed, Zoe lunging low, Julian darting in from above, their rhythm relentless. Leo blocked Zoe’s claws with one arm and caught Julian’s blade with the other, the impact sending a ripple of pressure through the air.

Then Leo smirked. "You two make a great pair," he said coldly. "Too bad teamwork won’t save you."

He slammed his palm into the ground. A surge of energy erupted outward, a shockwave that distorted gravity itself. The earth split apart, fissures glowing with icy light as tendrils of crystallized energy burst from beneath, forming a spiraling wall between Julian and Zoe.

Zoe growled and tried to leap through, but the barrier expanded violently, shards of ice laced with venom energy. She was forced to back away, snarling.

Julian’s eyes widened. "Zoe!"

Leo appeared before him in a flash, laughing. "Worry about yourself first!"

Julian barely raised his blade before Leo’s kick slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward through shattered debris. Zoe roared in fury, her claws scraping against the barrier, but Leo’s manipulation of energy shifted the terrain itself, gravitational pulls pushing Julian and Zoe in opposite directions.

"Let’s even the odds a little," Leo said, his voice echoing with divine malice. "One against one. Just how I like it."

Julian pushed himself up, coughing blood, eyes burning with defiance as lightning flickered around him. "You really think separating us will save you?"

Leo chuckled darkly, his aura flaring brighter, ice and poison swirling around his form like a storm. "No... it’ll make killing you more entertaining."

And with that, Leo lunged forward, straight toward Julian while the barrier behind him sealed completely, cutting Zoe off from her master.

And Leo successfully pounded Julian, forcing him to slowly retreat.

Julian wiped the blood from his mouth, his expression calm despite the chaos. "It’s useless," he said coldly. "You can separate us all you want, but you can’t win."

Leo tilted his head, smirking. "Oh? You still don’t understand what I’m capable of, do you?"

Then his tone dropped into a low, guttural whisper. "Come... my swarm."

The ground trembled as a faint hum filled the air, at first like the distant sound of wind, then sharper, heavier. From the carcass of the fallen Sky Whale, black mist began to leak out, vibrating with energy. The mist shifted, then split into countless wings.

Thousands of insect-like creatures burst forth, their glassy bodies glinting with corrupted light, mutated dragonflies, each one infused with a trace of Leo’s poison. Their eyes gleamed with eerie turquoise as they spiraled upward, filling the battlefield like a living storm.

Julian’s eyes narrowed as the swarm began to circle him, the air vibrating with the sound of wings. The smell of decay and acid filled his lungs. "You’re using the Sky Whale’s corpse as a hive...?"

Leo grinned, eyes glowing with madness. "That’s right. Its divine remains were too precious to waste. Every inch of its flesh became home to my children."

The swarm thickened, forming a whirling vortex of wings and venom. Leo spread his arms wide, his laughter echoing through the air. "Now let’s see how long you can breathe in my world of death!"

Julian clenched his blade, shadows flickering at his feet as lightning sparked across his armor. "Then let’s see whose world breaks first."

His swarm tore through the air in coordinated waves, wings slicing the wind, venom burning the ground.

Julian’s defenses began to crack, his armor shimmered, lightning sputtering with every hit. Leo’s fist slammed into his ribs, sending him skidding across the ruined floor. Blood trailed from Julian’s lips as he fell to one knee.

Leo chuckled darkly, stepping closer with the arrogance of a god addressing a mortal. "You’ve fought well, Julian," he said, voice dripping with mockery. "But it’s time to stop pretending. Kneel and I’ll grant you a painless death."

Julian raised his head slowly, his eyes cold, his breath steady despite the pain. Then, a faint smirk curved his lips.

"I’ve been waiting," he murmured, lightning flashing behind his eyes. "For this exact moment."

"[Domination]"

The air shifted. A deep, vibrating pulse spread from Julian’s body as the ground cracked beneath him. His shadow expanded outward like black fire, and his aura surged, a violent mix of storm and darkness that made even the light tremble.

The atmosphere warped. Leo’s grin faltered as the invisible pressure crushed down on him. His body stiffened, his instincts screaming danger. He tried to move but his limbs felt heavier, slower. His swarm hesitated in the air, their formation breaking apart.

Leo gritted his teeth, forcing out his voice. "You—! You’ve been hiding this power all along?"

Julian stood tall now, lightning flickering along his arms, his expression unreadable. "Of course," he replied calmly. "Why would I ever trust you?"

Then it happened. The countless dragonflies Leo had summoned—his "children," his living weapons—began to waver midair. Their wings twitched violently before they all turned toward Julian, lowering themselves, bowing in eerie synchronization.

Leo’s eyes widened in disbelief. "No... impossible!"

Julian’s aura burned brighter, waves of authority radiating outward, crushing the air itself. "It seems your insects know the truth," he said coldly. "In this domain, Leo... your will means nothing."

The swarm screeched in unison, now under Julian’s command, confirming what Leo feared most, Julian’s mental strength had surpassed his own.

Leo’s body trembled, not from fear, but from the overwhelming surge of energy coursing through him. Cracks spread across his exoskeletal armor as his veins pulsed with blinding light. The air twisted, vibrating with a divine hum that made the battlefield itself seem to recoil.

"I’ve had enough of this!" he roared, his voice shaking the air. "I’ll end everything!"

A brilliant storm of energy erupted around him, ice, water, venom, and laser fused into one chaotic maelstrom. His eyes glowed an otherworldly blue, his presence expanding until it felt like the wrath of a god was standing in human form.

Julian narrowed his eyes. He could feel the fabric of mana bending, hear the hum of Leo’s chaotic divinity. The pressure was suffocating—yet within that storm, his focus sharpened.

"Then let’s finish it," Julian whispered.

Lightning arced violently around him, merging with the shadows writhing beneath his feet. The two forces, pure light and consuming darkness twisted together, forming a spiraling vortex of storm and void that coiled around his blade. His armor pulsed with dark-blue radiance as the ground shattered under his power.

The sky rumbled as both auras collided, Leo’s divine storm against Julian’s abyssal tempest.

Leo grinned madly. "Show me, Julian! Show me what a madman looks like when he dies!"

Julian’s expression stayed calm, almost eerily so. "I intend to."