Chapter 244: The Leo of the Orange Sun

Under the sweeping force of Leo's Asiten, the ground was torn apart, leaving deep fissures in its wake. Such a powerful attack—if taken head-on—would mean certain death for an ordinary person. Smoke billowed thickly, as if announcing the arrival of death itself. However, within this maelstrom of destruction, a figure suddenly leaped out from the smoke, soaring straight into the sky.

It was Hayato! Using his twin blades, he had embedded them into Usagi's mini-cannon, harnessing the resonance between them to turn the cannon into a makeshift flying device. A blazing beam of light propelled the two of them upward. With his other hand, he held Usagi tightly, his grip unwavering.

Usagi's cheeks instantly flushed red, and she shouted in embarrassment and frustration, "Where do you think you're grabbing?! Don't hold me so tight!"

"No can do!" Hayato replied with absolute confidence, a roguish grin tugging at his lips. "If you fall, it'd be a real pain in the ass!"

Then, tilting his head back, he let out a loud, taunting laugh as he mockingly waved down at the enraged Leo below. "See ya, dumbass! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Leo's gaze followed them, his eyes sharp as blades. His forehead bulged with veins, and a slight twitch appeared at the corner of his eye. He hadn't expected his ultimate move to be so easily evaded, nor had he anticipated Hayato to have planned an escape from the very start—taking Usagi with him and leaving Leo no chance to turn the tide.

"You little bastard!!!!" Leo growled, his voice smoldering with unquenchable fury. His rage peaked in an instant, and he threw his head back, letting out a deafening roar. The very air trembled with the force of his bellow.

"You think you can escape that easily?!" Leo suddenly kicked off the ground, his feet moving with such speed they became a blur. With each step, he traced a complex and intricate pattern across the battlefield—seemingly chaotic, yet containing a profound and mysterious order. Each footfall landed precisely in designated positions across the war-torn terrain.

"Hummmmm—"

As the final step fell into place, the ground began to tremble. A powerful surge of energy erupted from Leo's core, spreading outward like a tidal wave. Dust and debris swirled violently as a colossal formation emerged—glowing with a brilliant orange radiance.

Stars appeared on the battlefield, their light forming the constellation of Leo itself. One by one, each star connected with dazzling beams, weaving an intricate celestial pattern upon the earth. The orange glow ignited like raging flames, expanding rapidly, consuming everything in its path.

With an earth-shattering boom, the land beneath the formation fractured, orange light gushing forth from the crevices, transforming the battlefield into a radiant sun. Waves of scorching energy radiated outward, bending even the air itself under its sheer intensity.

Leo's aura surged, wild as the ocean, his roar shaking the heavens. His fists clenched tightly as brilliant orange light gathered around his right fist, the glow so blinding that even the sky seemed to pale before it. His voice thundered like an oncoming storm:

"LION GLORIOUS!!!!"

With that, he hurled his fist toward the sky. The overwhelming force behind the punch sent a meteor-like orange blaze hurtling toward Hayato and Usagi. The sheer impact of his strike detonated a sonic boom, and everything in its trajectory was instantly obliterated.

Locked in midair, Hayato and Usagi found themselves directly within the blast's path. Usagi's pupils shrank in terror—she could already feel the suffocating force of destruction bearing down on them. Hayato's smirk finally vanished as he glanced downward, sensing the horrifying power closing in.

Like an enraged beast, the orange radiance roared, splitting the sky apart as it surged toward them. The air compressed under its force, creating a vacuum where even sound seemed to vanish. Everything in its wake was erased, as if even time itself had been swallowed whole.

The brilliance of the Lion Glorious streaked across the heavens, turning the entire sky into a golden inferno. Its energy rippled outward in a cataclysmic surge, engulfing all in its wake. The sheer pressure tore apart the atmosphere, creating a massive ring of shockwaves. Clouds in the vicinity were instantly shredded, dissipating into nothingness.

Below, the earth bore the brunt of the unimaginable force. The land beneath Leo's feet collapsed entirely, forming vast cracks that spread out in every direction—like veins torn open upon the planet's surface. Ruins nearby were obliterated, metal and stone alike vaporized into dust, leaving not a single trace behind.

Distant mountains trembled, their peaks crumbling as landslides rumbled down their slopes. The very ground was scraped clean by the ensuing windstorm, leaving behind a barren wasteland—devoid of life, devoid of hope.

At the heart of the devastation, the orange radiance pulsed like a newborn sun, consuming everything within its fiery grasp. Space itself seemed to twist and warp, emitting a shrill, eerie hum.

As the light gradually faded, Leo stood amidst the aftermath, his breath ragged, his aura weakened but unyielding. His fists trembled slightly, his body exhausted yet still fueled by smoldering rage. He narrowed his eyes at the vanishing remnants of the explosion, searching for any sign of movement.

His fingers clenched tighter. Had Hayato and Usagi truly perished in that blast?

A cold voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Leo, are you still going to chase them?"

He turned. Gemini stood at his side, his expression impassive. Beside him, Pisces looked deathly pale, her breathing labored.

Leo's jaw tightened. He scanned the battlefield—a land of death, strewn with the bodies of fallen soldiers, reduced to nothing but ruins. His heart pounded, still drunk on the heat of battle, but Gemini's words forced him to reconsider.

"Damn it..." Leo exhaled sharply, his voice laced with frustration. He cast one last glance at the distant, smoke-filled horizon before finally turning away.

"Let's go. We need to heal Pisces."

Gemini crossed his arms, his tone laced with rebuke. "Try learning some patience, Leo. If I hadn't been here, you would've run off without a second thought, ignoring Pisces' condition. Do you even understand what's most important right now?"

Leo remained silent, his gaze locked on the ground. Was he truly reflecting? Or merely swallowing his frustration? No one knew. But in that moment, his fists clenched even tighter, suppressing something deep within.

Gemini sighed, shaking his head. "Let's go. In the Wanderers' Code, a comrade's life always comes first. As for those two… there's no way they survived the Lion Glorious. If, by some miracle, they did… then we'll simply hunt them down again."

Leo didn't reply. He placed a hand over his chest, feeling the backlash of his Absolute Command gnawing at him. His injuries deepened, but he kept his pain hidden. Without another word, he followed Gemini and Pisces as they disappeared into the shadows.

The battlefield remained, littered with corpses and the scars of war. Above, the echoes of battle still lingered, the distant sky murmuring with the last remnants of a clash that would not soon be forgotten.