Chapter 264: An Unexpected Reversal

"And you'll need to come with me."Leon's eyes widened slightly, and he gave Athena a puzzled look.

"What did you just say? Come with you?" Leon inquired, his tone filled with doubt.

Athena nodded, her tone casual. "Yes, you need to come with me to the Dragon Empire's palace and stay there for the specified time. I'll handle all your needs, so you won't have to worry about anything. Moreover, I'll take you to my ancestor's palace to meet him, where you can consult him about your duty as the Fate One."

Upon hearing her words, Leon, who was initially surprised, quickly grasped her meaning and immediately shook his head without hesitation.

"Sorry, Athena, I can't do that." Leon firmly refused, his expression serious. "I already told you that night—I can't come with you because the war in the Desert of Chaos hasn't been resolved yet. Until that matter is settled, I can't go with you to meet your ancestor. So, thank you for the offer, but I have to decline."

Although Leon greatly appreciated Athena's offer, he remained committed to his original plan.

Miranda had assigned him his first task as the Fate One: to resolve the 7,000-year-long enmity between humanity and the Demon Race. Naturally, he had to focus all his attention on this mission.

Furthermore, this task was extremely challenging and strenuous. The hatred and enmity between the Demon Race and the Human Race had been deeply ingrained and passed down for millennia, making it nearly impossible for the two races to reconcile easily.

Therefore, he was determined not to shift his focus to anything else until this arduous task was completed.

The other reason, of course, was that he couldn't leave Liliana, the woman he loved, and his four adorable daughters just to live with Athena. But there was no way he was going to explain that to her.

Athena was slightly taken aback by Leon's refusal, her eyes narrowing as a faintly dangerous aura emanated from her while she looked at him sharply.

"As I said before, you don't need to worry about anything because I'll handle everything, including the war in the Desert of Chaos," Athena replied smugly. "With the hundreds of thousands of powerful dragon troops I'll mobilize, the war in the Desert of Chaos will be easily resolved. So, I don't want to hear any more excuses, Leon. Now, let's go—I don't want to linger here any longer."

Before Leon could respond, Athena grabbed his hand and began to pull him away.

However, Leon gently released her hand and looked at her with a calm gaze, shaking his head.

"Sorry, Athena, but I still can't go with you," Leon said with a small sigh. "Your solution wouldn't ease the war in the Desert of Chaos—it would only escalate it. The enmity between the two races would become even more intense."

While Athena's solution might have seemed brilliant, in reality, it was the worst possible option.

If the dragon race intervened in this war, the tension and enmity between humanity and the Demon race would only increase significantly.

Furthermore, it wasn't out of the question that the Holy Orthodox, which had remained neutral so far, would step in to support the Holy Empire of Elysium against the Demon race's army.

The involvement of the Holy Orthodox would undoubtedly escalate the conflict, transforming it into an even bigger and deadlier war—one that even he would struggle to resolve if it came to that.

Athena's fury grew as she watched Leon release her hand, and her anger deepened when he refused her again, a slight gloom darkening her red eyes.

"I won't accept your refusal anymore, Leon. You must come with me, or don't blame me if I resort to harsher methods," Athena said coldly.

Once again, she tightly grasped Leon's hand, a faint, dangerous red aura emanating from her body, instantly making the atmosphere around them tense.

As a proud Dragon Empress, Athena had never been denied anything she desired, and Leon's repeated refusals wounded her pride.

However, because he was the man she loved deeply and would one day become her husband, she was willing to overlook and forgive him.

But that didn't mean Leon could act as he pleased—she had her own limits when it came to his behavior.

If Leon crossed that threshold, she wouldn't hesitate to respond with force, just as she had done in the past.

A chill ran down Leon's spine as he looked at Athena's cold expression, reminding him of a past incident that had traumatized him deeply.

*Whoosh!*

As his body tensed, the power of chaos within him suddenly surged, flooding him with a wave of relief and calm that quickly washed away his anxiety.

Leon was taken aback by this, as it was the first time the chaos power within him had reacted this way.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Athena, who was radiating a dangerous red aura with an indifferent gaze.

"Athena, I've never wanted to act against you because I respect you as the Dragon Empress and the descendant of a dragon ancestor," Leon said coldly.

Firmly pulling his hand from Athena's grip, Leon extended his arm and raised her chin with a dominating gesture he had never used with her before.

"However, that doesn't mean I'm afraid to take decisive action if necessary," Leon continued in a threatening tone.

Leon's purple eyes locked onto Athena's, causing her to startle with widened eyes, unable to believe his harsh words and actions.

This was the first time Leon had spoken to her with such severity, and it felt like her heart was being pierced by needles.

*Boom!*

Her red eyes darkened with fury as a fire-red aura erupted from her body, destroying the furniture around them.

The space barrier surrounding them trembled violently, unable to contain the force of Athena's wrath.

Leon was taken aback by the sudden eruption and tried to pull his hand from her chin, but Athena gripped it tightly, preventing his escape.

"You have repeatedly tested my patience, Leon. I will no longer hold back," Athena said with an indifferent tone.

As she spoke, the red aura emanating from her body surged toward Leon, enveloping him completely except for his head.

"Now, let's go." Athena glanced at Leon indifferently and was about to snap her fingers to remove the space barrier when an unexpected event occurred.

Leon suddenly smiled and shook his head, whispering, "You're really stubborn, Athena."

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A purplish-black power of chaos erupted from his body, shattering the red aura that had enveloped him.

Startled by the sudden scene, Athena felt an immediate sense of danger. She tried to move away from Leon but found her body stiff and immobile, her eyes widening in horror.

"What's happening!? Why can't I move?" Athena exclaimed in disbelief, struggling to move her immobilized body.

Her efforts proved futile, fueling her frustration.

She fixed a sharp gaze on Leon and demanded, "What are you doing to me, Leon? Why can't I move?"

Leon retracted the power of chaos into his body and smiled playfully at Athena, who glared at him in anger.

"Don't worry, I haven't harmed you. I merely restricted the mana flow within your body, so you can't move for a while," Leon said casually as he settled back onto the sofa.

"Restricted the mana flow in my body? How is that even possible?" Athena asked, her eyes widening in shock.

Restricting mana flow was a technique that sealed another person's mana, rendering them completely powerless. While the concept was impressive, executing it was highly complex and challenging.

To execute this technique, one must have greater power than the individual whose mana flow is being restricted and must know the exact location of their mana core. Since each person's mana core is uniquely positioned, this technique is notoriously difficult.

However, Leon managed it effortlessly and knew the exact location of her mana core, leaving Athena both astonished and confused.

Leon didn't answer her question and sipped his tea casually with his legs crossed.

The sense of relief and comfort, as if all his burdens had been lifted, made him smile.

'Damn! Is this what freedom feels like?' Leon mused to himself.

The sight of Athena's helplessness made his past trauma fade away, replaced by a wave of unexpected happiness!

Slowly setting down his cup, Leon, still smiling, shook his head slightly.

"You don't need to know, Athena," Leon said nonchalantly. "I'm done playing games. Just hand over the token your ancestor gave you."

Athena's anger flared at Leon's indifferent attitude, but her inability to move only deepened her frustration.

"After what you've done to me, do you really think I'll hand it over? Don't count on it!" Athena snapped coldly, making the corners of Leon's mouth twitch.

Despite her reaction, Leon remained calm, well aware of Athena's nature.

Letting out a small sigh, Leon slowly rose to his feet and said in a softer tone, "How about this: You give me the token, and I'll set you free."

Athena's cold expression shifted to one of doubt as she considered his offer.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and nodded reluctantly.

"Alright, I agree," Athena said, her expression sullen.

Leon smiled with satisfaction and, without hesitation, touched Athena's stomach, freeing her from her immobilized state.

"Now, hand over the token," Leon said, extending his open palm.

Given Athena's arrogant nature as a dragon, he trusted her integrity and her word.

As expected, Athena reached into the pocket of her red gown and retrieved a black token.

She inspected the token carefully, a brief glimmer of light flickering in her eyes, before finally handing it to Leon.

"Here's the token," she said with a cold snort. Experience tales at M-V-L

Leon examined the token closely, marveling at the intricate moon and star patterns on both sides.

'This is definitely the token!' he thought, a faint smile on his lips.

Just holding it, he felt a deep sense of familiarity, confirming it was indeed the token prepared by the Demon Emperor Amon and the Hero of Mankind Luminus Troya.

As Leon was captivated by the token, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"What's happening? Why do I feel so dizzy?" Leon wondered, struggling to stay upright while clutching his head and furrowing his brow.

"Is the potion already taking effect? It seems my ancestor's warnings were accurate," Athena's chilling voice sliced through his confusion, sending a shiver down his spine.

He turned to her with growing horror, beginning to ask, "Are you—"

Before he could finish, Leon abruptly lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor.

Athena stood calmly, her gaze fixed on the tea Leon had just drunk—a playful glint dancing in her eyes.

"You're too careless, Leon. Now, you belong to me, hehehe~

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A/N: Ahem! I apologize, because the lemon scene will be in the next chapter! Well, please be patient! (シ. .)シ