Tyrant Emperor

"Eh?" Edwin stared at Leon with a stunned expression, his mind still processing the situation. He wanted to speak, but no words came.

"My mom…?"

He remained confused, but Leon had already turned his attention away from Edwin, looking toward the crowd that had gathered.

"Looks like the screams of Edward have died down, and…" Leon's gaze fixed on the blood stain on the ground. He was pretty sure Bert had indeed bitten his ears off.

'I could've taken action for you, but if I had, you'd never have learned to stand up for yourself,' Leon said, shaking his head. 'Besides, I won't always be around to protect you. In this cold world, you have to learn to stand up for yourself.'

Leon gradually made his way toward them, sidestepping the group as his eyes fell on the fainted Bert and the bloodied Edward, whose ears he still held in his mouth.

"What's happening here, Leon?" Tina appeared behind him, her face etched with confusion.

"He fainted," Leon replied as he approached Bert and began lifting him.

"I can see that," Tina said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, however a slight pain shot through her pupils, and she quickly refrained from doing so.

"If you can see that, then why ask?" Leon glanced at her, shaking his head with a touch of pity.

"Hey, what's with the pity?" Tina huffed, walking on tiptoe behind him, irritation clear on her face.

"It's a pity how stupid you are."

"I am not stupid. Take that back."

"Actions speak louder than words."

Leon, carrying Bert, and Tina following behind, quickly reached the infirmary.

As he reached the door, Leon slid his hand across its rough, his hand was stained by the grease just from touching it. There were also some holes in the door through which he could sneak a peek inside.

"Hmm?" Leon's eyes squinted slightly. He could see the faint silhouette of a woman—a faint shadow, but he could definitely make it out clearly.

Then he pushed the door open with a creak.

"Hmm, who is it?" a feminine voice resounded with a slight tinge of annoyance in her tone.

"Bert is injured, so we need your help."

Tina hurriedly said, and Leon carried Bert directly to the bed for him to lie down.

"There is someone injured, huh…"

Leon looked at the person. She had long lavender hair that reached down to her waist, and she was sitting on a stool with her back to them.

Not much could be discerned from her facial expression, but Leon was pretty sure there was something strange about her that he couldn't quite pinpoint. There was a sense of familiarity that he could distinctly sense from her.

"She's not simple." Leon squinted his eyes in contemplation.

The woman slowly turned her head, showing her beautiful face to him. Her face was very small with plump cheeks and lavender lips that matched her hair color, with eyes that gleamed with the same hue. A small scowl appeared on her face as she looked to the side where Bert was sleeping, bleeding heavily.

"What happened to him?"

"He got into a fight," Ray replied.

"I see." With a nod of her head, she walked up to Bert and slowly extended her hand to touch him.

Closing her eyes, she stood there for a few moments.

Leon watched her intently, waiting in anticipation. The yellow chakra stored in his core actually felt even closer to her than even the King he had met, the stronger the more he would feel then the woman before him…

"Is she stronger than him?" A hint of uncertainty lingered in Leon's mind. If she were truly that strong, there'd be no reason for her to remain in this place.

Just then, Leon sensed a shift in the air. His eyes couldn't see it, but he could feel a movement within her body, something akin to a presence, inching toward Bert.

Everything froze for him, and Leon felt himself slipping into a void of darkness.

At the center of this void stood a towering beast. Its body was an intricate blend of shadowy black, crimson accents, and ghostly white, creating an eerie, spectral appearance. Long, wild tendrils extended from its form like living shadows.

Its head was crowned with jagged, antler-like protrusions, each curve sharp and menacing. The creature's limbs stretched out, elongated and ending in massive claws. Across its chest and limbs ran dark crimson patterns, like exposed, pulsing muscle.

As Leon stared at the beast, it slowly raised its head, locking eyes with him. Its ferocious maw opened wide, releasing a chilling sound, a guttural snicker that reverberated throughout the void.

A shiver ran down Leon's spine, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"I…" He parted his dry lips, but before he could speak, a small hand gently settled on his shoulder. A voice, soft yet urgent, drifted into his ears.

"Are… you… all… right?"

Leon snapped back to reality. His surroundings had returned to normal—an ordinary room with an old wooden floor and a ceiling made of bamboo shoots. There seemed to be nothing unusual about it.

"What just happened?"

Thump! Thump!

His heart beat so loudly, he could hear it pounding in his ears, as if it were right there beside him.

"Hey, are you really okay?" Tina asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I'm fine."

Leon nodded, his gaze fixed on the back of the purple-haired woman.

"It looks like it'll take some time if you want to heal him," the woman remarked without turning around.

"Thank you, Miss Angela, for your help," Tina said, bowing with a sweet smile.

"You know her?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I've heard of her," Tina replied.

"I see."

Leon fell silent as Angela began treating Bert, using a variety of herbs.

"Sounds like an angel, but…"

Just then, the broken wooden door, pocket with countless holes, creaked open. A group of people hurried in, carrying Edward on a stretcher.