The Rise of General Dire
"...Daddy," Rias whispered, her crimson eyes locked on his. "What do we do now? Our city... it’s gone."
The crowd stilled. No one made a sound.
Leon’s smile disappeared.
His expression turned grave as he looked around at those gathered: the eight won who shared his heart, the loyal maids, the wounded soldiers, the shaken civilians. His people. Hurt, but still alive.
He closed his eyes again and breathed in deeply.
He opened his mouth, ready to speak—
But the world answered first.
ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!
A monstrous, guttural roar ripped through the air—deep, ancient, so loud it felt like it tore straight through the burning bones of Silver City.
The ground shuddered beneath their feet.
Every head snapped toward the center of the city.
Through the curtain of fla and smoke, sothing began to rise—massive, obsidian, wrong.
A towering black pillar shot up from the heart of the wreckage, clawing toward the sky like so twisted, writhing serpent. It didn’t just look alive—it felt alive.
It pulsed. It throbbed.
Even from this far, it felt like the damn thing was breathing.
Civilians stumbled back on instinct, eyes wide.
The lower-realm maids—usually brave—backed up fast, trembling, their fear plain in every step.
Even the elite soldiers, hardened by blood and battle, stood still—frozen in place.
A heavy dread blanketed the plaza.
Thick. Cold. Ancient.
Leon’s golden eyes narrowed, sharp and focused.
Sothing foul was crawling through. Sothing old. Wrong.
And he could feel it—pressing right up against his soul like claws on glass.
Beside him, Mia and Lira gripped his arms tighter, their bodies reacting faster than their mouths could.
Leon reached out with his mind.
"System—what is that?"
The answer ca instantly, sharp and emotionless.
[Host... that is a dark ritual manifesting. A rebirth technique. Soone has returned from death.]
His jaw clenched. His heart dropped. For a mont, even the air itself paused.
Returned... from death?
"R-Re-Rebirth? But who—?"
But there was no ti to ask more question to system. Because the ground rumbled again.
And then—it appeared.
From within the inferno’s heart, sothing began to walk forward.
A shadow. A silhouette.
A humanoid form erged beyond the curtain of fla and falling ash, monstrous in size, horrifying in shape. It ca from the very gates of the city, each step shaking the ground.
When its full figure ca into view, their breaths caught.
It wasn’t human.
Massive and built like a moving mountain, its form glowed with molten heat beneath cracked, blackened skin. Steam hissed from its shoulders, and every step it took left smoldering impressions on the earth. Its flesh oozed glowing lava from deep fissures, as though it had been carved from burning clay itself.
Smoke curled from every inch of its massive body. The air around it shimred from the sheer heat.
Its face—if it could be called that—was twisted, warped like lting wax, a grotesque mockery of a man. Sharp horns curled from its brow. Ancient sigils burned across its chest, pulsing with dark energy.
The monster advanced—slow, deliberate.
And then, it smiled.
And then—its burning eyes locked directly onto Leon. A ghastly expression, half-human, half-entity of rage.
It wasn’t just a beast. There was recognition in those eyes. A cruel, knowing awareness that struck like a blade of ice.
His black eyes burned, fixed on Leon’s golden ones with a twisted familiarity.
"Well, well..." the creature rumbled, voice dripping with mockery. "Look what survived. Duke Leon Moonwalker, in the flesh."
Leon’s body tensed. His jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed.
A guttural, cruel laugh rolled from the beast’s throat—a sound more infernal than human. Leon froze. That voice...
"...You," he muttered, a bitter edge in his tone.
The creature’s grin widened like a rip through his face. "Don’t recognize ?"
Its voice—warped and unholy—still carried sothing hauntingly familiar.
"Well, it’s not your fault. In my new form, I do look a little different. Let reintroduce myself." The creature straightened, proud, dark flas rippling off its form. "I am General Dire," it declared, with venomous pride. "Surprised?"
Gasps erupted from those behind Leon—Ronan, Black. They had seen this man vanish before their very eyes, his body evaporated into the wind. They had watched him die, torn apart by magic and fire. No one else in the group seed to recognize the na. But Leon... he knew.
This man had once fought beside traitors.
And now, he stood with those attacking Silver City.
Leon’s voice was low, sharp with disbelief. "Impossible. Dire died in front of . He vanished into the air..."
A twisted laugh burst from the creature’s throat, thick and hot like tar.
"Oh, I did die," he said. "But thanks to my old contract with the Dark Rose Cult, so preparations were in place... just in case." His voice dropped, laced with malice. "A little seed of rebirth buried deep inside my heart. When I perished, their ritual brought back. This fire... this flesh... this cursed gift of vengeance—it is ."
Rage surged through Leon’s chest like a rising inferno.
At that mont, the system buzzed inside his mind.
[System Notification: 5% of locked mory has been unlocked. Host now recognizes Dark Rose Cult structure.]
A wave of knowledge slamd into Leon’s thoughts—dark, ancient, forbidden knowledge.
The Dark Rose Cult.
A heretical sect devoted to the goddess of death. Spread across Galvia, even reaching the great Four Empires. Elusive, deadly. Their roots ran deeper than the Moon Goddess cult, and their secrets were buried in shadows.
Empires had tried to wipe them out for centuries.
Failed every ti.
They hid in the five forgotten forests and within the darkest corners of imperial cities—their true power thriving beneath the surface of civilization.
And now... they had reached here.
Dire’s burning voice returned, cutting through the silence like a lash.
"That ritual... I was saving it for later. For when age stole my strength. I would’ve used it to be reborn into youth again. But you forced my hand, Leon." His voice dripped with fury. "I had to trigger it amidst the flas of a dying city."
He lifted one arm—part charred flesh, part glowing rune, part nightmare.
The system whispered again in Leon’s mind:
[The Dark Rose Cult revived generals from death. They forge monstrosities. They target high-level warriors.]
Leon grits his teeth, locking his gaze onto the monster’s twisted form.
Dire didn’t flinch.
"I wanted revenge for my humiliation," he growled. "Now... I’ll kill you. And everything you love." His voice cracked—burning, breaking—echoing like fire rolling over stone. "Everyone."
"YOU BASTARD!" Rias scread, her voice cutting through the chaos like a lightning strike across a stormy sky.
Leon stepped forward—but stumbled, his body faltering.
Captain Black spun toward him. "My Lord! Orders?!"
Leon gritted his teeth, forcing the words out. "Get the civilian line—move them back. Guards, protect them."
Black gave a sharp salute. "Yes, my Lord!"
Without hesitation, Ronan, Johny, and a handful of soldiers rushed in, forming a shield around Leon’s wavering figure. Their bodies instinctively created a wall, placing themselves between him and the monster that lood ahead.
Leon tried to push forward, reaching to free himself from the hands gripping him.
But they held tighter.
"Let us protect you!" Rias and the others said, voices unwavering.
"You—stand here," he said, his voice firm, though his limbs trembled beneath the weight of battle and emotion. "This fight... isn’t yours."
His legs gave a faint shake, nearly giving out—his strength, his pain, and the weight of everything crashing down all at once.
Rias caught him before he collapsed to the bloodstained soil.
Inside his mind, a cold voice surged.
[System: Host... are you out of your mind? You still have five minutes. Prepare for the battle!]
Leon growled back through clenched teeth.
[System: You cannot delay. If you push your body now, I’ll force a full neuro-recovery—aning you’ll be down for a long ti.]
"No!" Leon snarled ntally. "I don’t have ti!"
[System: Then follow my protocol. Your energy is fading—rapidly.]
A silent war passed between Leon and the voice only he could hear. Then, with teeth grit and eyes burning, he relented.
"Fine. Five minutes."
Captain Black and Ronan exchanged glances—raw concern flickering beneath the pride in their eyes.
Leon turned to them, speaking with urgency despite the pain constricting his chest. "Captain Black. Ronan. Vice-Captain Johny. You three—frontline. Hold off that monster. If not defeat it, then stall it. Guard the civilians. I need just five minutes... Five minutes to return to fighting shape."
The three n nodded without a word, their weapons already drawn as they moved toward the coming storm.
Leon’s eyes swept over his wives and maids—still clinging to him, refusing to leave his side. Even as he asked them to step back, their bodies remained planted in front of him.
He didn’t fight them anymore.
But his heart twisted with their caring attitude toward him.
They slowly let go his hand, but didn’t away move from him. Instead, they positioned themselves protectively in front of him—forming a second wall of resistance between him and the approaching beast.
The ground trembled.
The monster didn’t wait.
Rorrrrrrrrr~!
With a roar that split the heavens, it charged.
Vice- captain Johny, alongside Black and Ronan, stood as the first line of defense.
Behind them, his won held the second.
And as the shadow of horror rushed closer, Leon closed his eyes for just a mont—
All he needed was five minutes.
Five minutes to rise... And kill the monster.
To end this long, hellish night. And when he opens his eyes, he saw Black, Ronan and Johny already dashed toward the monster with sword in hand.
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