Chapter 13: Leon's Fury

Chapter 13: Leon's Fury

"Every single time," Leon continued, voice trembling with rage. "Just because someone is E-Rank, you think they're worthless? You think that makes it okay to push them around? To humiliate them?"

His sword lifted, pressing harder against Galen's neck. A thin line of blood appeared.

"You call them weak, but you're the ones who gang up on them like cowards." Leon's words dripped with venom. "You talk big, but the second someone stronger steps in, you piss yourselves like children."

Galen whimpered.

"You think I don't know?" Leon's voice was fire and ice, fury restrained by sheer will. "You look down on E-Ranks because you're scared. Scared that one of them might rise above you. Scared that, despite your fancy guilds, your expensive weapons, your so-called 'talent'—someone you called trash might surpass you."

The leader flinched, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.

Leon laughed, cold and hollow. "I've seen it before. You pretend it's about rank. About strength. But it's not. It never was. It's about fear."

He tilted his head, his bright green eyes shining like a beast cornering its prey.

"You beat him because you wanted to prove something. You wanted to convince yourself you were better. That you'd always be better."

Leon leaned in, his breath warm against the man's ear.

"But deep down... you know that's a lie, don't you?"

The leader let out a strangled sound, barely a whimper.

"You know the truth," Leon whispered. "That's why you're shaking."

A choked sob escaped the Galen's lips.

Leon exhaled slowly, his grip on the sword tightening.

"Pathetic."

Leon's sword hovered in the air, its edge glinting under the morning sun. His bright green eyes burned with something deeper than rage—hatred. Not just for the trembling man before him, but for everything he stood for.

The kind of people who thought strength gave them the right to trample over others. The kind of people who made the weak suffer just because they could.

His grip on the sword tightened.

"Stop, Leon."

The voice cut through the air. Steady. Controlled.

Kael.

Leon didn't move. His shoulders were tense, his breathing sharp. He was keeping himself in check—but barely.

Kael took a step closer. Then another. Until he was right beside Leon. He hesitated for a second before resting a hand on Leon's shoulder.

"Leon," he said again, quieter this time. "Stop."

Leon exhaled slowly through his nose. "He hurt you."

"I know," Kael said evenly. "But it doesn't matter."

Leon's fingers curled tighter around the hilt. His entire body was rigid, holding back something dangerous beneath the surface.

Kael sighed. "He's not worth it."

Leon didn't move. The air between them was thick.

Then, slowly, he lowered his sword. The murderous aura faded—but only just. His grip on the hilt remained firm, his jaw tight.

Leon turned slightly toward Kael. His voice was sharp. "Are you alright?"

Kael wiped at the blood on his lip with the back of his hand. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Leon didn't look convinced. His eyes flickered over Kael's injuries—the bruises forming on his arms, the way he held himself, the shallow cut on his cheek.

His fingers twitched.

Kael noticed. He let out a small, tired chuckle. "It's not as bad as it looks."

Leon's expression darkened. His voice dropped. "Don't say that."

Kael blinked. "What?"

Leon looked at him—really looked at him. His tone was low, but his anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface.

"They treated you like you were nothing," he muttered. "Like you didn't matter."

Kael exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his head. "Well… that's just how it is, right?"

Leon's jaw tightened. His voice was sharp, cold. "No. It's not. And it shouldn't be."

Kael stilled.

Leon's gaze burned into him. "They act like you're beneath them. Like you don't deserve to be here. Like your existence is worth less than theirs." His fingers clenched. "People like that disgust me."

Kael didn't respond.

Leon continued, his voice steady but intense. "You're not beneath them, Kael. You're not trash. You're not alone. And I'm not going to stand by and let them treat you like you are."

Kael opened his mouth—then closed it.

Leon studied him. His expression softened. Just slightly. "You're in my party now," he said simply. "Get used to it."

Kael blinked, head tilting slightly. "...What?"

Leon exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I took you in yesterday. That means you're under my wing, whether you like it or not."

Kael's lips parted slightly, but he didn't speak.

Leon frowned. "What?"

Kael hesitated. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "You're the first person who's ever said that."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot."

Kael just stared at him.

"You're in my party," Leon said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That's all there is to it."

Kael didn't respond right away.

Then—very slowly—he smiled. A small, barely-there smile.

Mira and Arthur, who had been quietly restraining the remaining Iron Fang members, exchanged glances.

Kael turned his gaze toward the leader of Iron Fang, who was slumped against the wall, trembling.

His smile faded.

"Stay down," he muttered. "Before you embarrass yourself further."

The man didn't even respond.

Leon exhaled and turned toward the approaching knights. "Take them."

The knights, who had been waiting on the sidelines, finally stepped forward and restrained the Iron Fang members.

Kael watched them go. Then, after a pause, he spoke.

"...Thanks."

Leon glanced at him. "For what?"

Kael gave a small chuckle. "For taking me in, I guess."

Leon rolled his eyes but smirked slightly. "Took you long enough to realize it."

Kael shook his head, still smiling.

A new voice cut in.

"Sit down."

Kael turned to see Elara approaching, her black hair catching the sunlight.

She knelt in front of him. "Stay still," she instructed, her tone firm.

Kael's lips quirked slightly. "I'm fine."

Mira scoffed, arms crossed. "Yeah, sure. You look like you got run over by a stampede of wyverns." She smirked. "Just let her heal you already, Mr. Tough Guy."

Kael sighed but didn't argue, letting Elara place her hands near his face. A soft, golden light flared from her fingertips, warmth sinking into his skin. The pain faded instantly. The bruises lightened. The cut on his lip disappeared.

Arthur, standing a few feet away, watched in silence. His fingers curled slightly at his sides.

"…It must've hurt," he muttered after a long pause.

Kael tilted his head slightly.

Arthur hesitated, then continued. "When they hit you. It must've hurt." His voice was quiet. "But you didn't even flinch."

Mira frowned, her usual playful expression slipping for just a moment. "Yeah. You didn't even try to stop them."

Kael exhaled slowly. "I couldn't have, even if I wanted to."

Silence.

Arthur looked away, shifting uncomfortably. "Right…"

Mira let out a huff. "Okay, depressing conversation over. Elara, how's he looking?"

Elara pulled her hands back, satisfied. "He's fine now."

Kael rolled his shoulders. "Yeah."

Elara stood up, brushing off her clothes. "We should head back. The knights will handle the rest."

Leon nodded. "Let's go."

Kael followed quietly.

---

By the time they reached the guild, Mira stretched her arms behind her head, her tone casual but with a flicker of curiosity in her red eyes. "So… what now? Are we heading straight back into the dungeon today?"

Leon exhaled sharply through his nose. "No. We need to check with the guild first. If what Celeste said is true, then something is seriously wrong with the dungeon. Going in blind would be reckless."

Mira groaned, tilting her head back. "Ugh. So no dungeon diving today? That's boring."

Arthur adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable. "You make it sound like we didn't nearly die yesterday."

Mira rolled her eyes. "Come on. We're all in one piece, aren't we?"

Leon shot her a look. "Barely."

Arthur crossed his arms. "You're ignoring the bigger issue. That dungeon wasn't behaving normally. The 10th floor was supposed to be filled with weaker monsters, yet the only thing there was an evolved Abyssal Warden. That alone is a massive problem."

Elara, walking beside Arthur, nodded. Her voice was quiet but steady. "Monsters in dungeons aren't supposed to evolve. That's what Celeste said. But the fact that one did… means something changed."

Mira huffed, kicking a small rock on the cobbled street. "Fine, fine. The dungeon's acting weird. But what do we do in the meantime? Sit around and do nothing?"

Leon shook his head. "No. If we can't go into the dungeon right away, we'll take a quest."

Mira raised an eyebrow. "A quest?"

Arthur let out a slow breath. "It's been a while since we took one."

Elara smiled faintly. "It's only been a week."

Mira smirked. "Feels like a year."

Leon glanced toward the Adventurers Guild as they approached. "We need to figure out what's going on with that dungeon first. If there's an unstable mana flow, more evolved monsters might start appearing more frequently. And if that happens…"

Arthur finished his sentence. "Then the entire dungeon ecosystem could collapse."

A heavy silence followed. Even Mira didn't have a response to that.

Finally, Kael, who had been silent the entire time, spoke. His voice was calm, as if unaffected by their concerns. "Then we should see what the guild knows."

Leon nodded. "Exactly."

And with that, they stepped into the guild hall once more...

---

(Chapter Ended)