If Cain’s only concern had been the coming war, he never would have chosen this reckless path. But he understood a truth few could grasp: there was no horror greater than losing one’s mind, losing oneself. That was a tornt he would wish only upon his worst enemies. And anyone who could endure that slow collapse of mory and reason, yet still face it with dignity, refusing to crumble into despair—that was not rely a warrior. That was a man of steel, a man of courage.
Determination burned like fire in Cain’s golden eyes. His willpower surged, unbreakable, as he drew in a long breath and spoke with grim finality.
"This will be painful."
Those were the only words Leonidas heard before the agony struck.
It was as if his flesh was being flayed from his bones, as if claws gouged out his entrails through every orifice of his face. Pain unlike anything he had endured before thundered through him, eclipsing even the worst scars of countless battles. His massive body shook, his teeth ground against one another, and yet—his eyes widened not in rage, but in sothing far more startling.
Hope.
For in that agony, he could feel it—the rotting weight clouding his mind was being forced out.
Five minutes into the ordeal, Leonidas saw them: tiny black motes seeping from his body, drifting out through his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. But they did not vanish. They did not dissipate into the air. Instead, they stread like a black tide straight into the body of the Scarlet King.
Cain was not rely expelling the curse. If he had tried that, the malignant thing would have fought back with such ferocity that Leonidas’ existence would have shattered from within. But Cain offered the curse sothing different—a new vessel, stronger, more vibrant, more irresistible. The gamble was simple: if the curse found Cain’s existence more suitable, it would abandon Leonidas without detonating in fury.
It was a hypothesis. Nothing more. But it seed to be working.
The trickle of black motes thickened into a steady flow, and soon into streams of shadowy plasma. They writhed like serpents as they poured from Leonidas into Cain, thick ropes of darkness that twisted in the air before burrowing into their new host.
The scene was grotesque. Leonidas bit back the screams that clawed at his throat as the corruption was torn from him, while Cain’s body quivered beneath the tide of black essence flooding into him.
Minutes stretched into hours.
At last, after two and a half hours of relentless tornt, the final traces of the living curse left Leonidas’ body. The old Archdeity collapsed onto the scorched ground, his form drenched in cold sweat. His chest heaved, his breath ragged. The pain had been so intense it could have driven a lesser Primordial Deity mad.
Yet none of that mattered.
For the first ti in centuries, Leonidas’ eyes cleared. His gaze, once dulled and clouded, now shone with crystalline sharpness. Clarity returned like a long-forgotten sunrise breaking over his soul. His lips trembled, his body shook, and tears slid unbidden down his weathered cheeks.
"I... am rembering."
Just three words. But within them surged a tide of joy, of hope, of liberation so powerful it defied description.
The disease was gone. The endless fog that had eaten away at his identity, that had stripped him of dignity and self, had finally been cast out.
But the realization ca swiftly.
His head turned toward Cain, who still stood silent and unmoving. The curse had burrowed deep into him, leaving no trace behind in Leonidas. For a long mont the old Archdeity’s heart clenched with dread.
Cain blinked slowly, then clenched his fists, testing the strength of his body, the steadiness of his soul. His face hardened, the light of resolve burning once more. Finally, he nodded, his gaze cutting toward Leonidas.
The elder looked at him with such raw gratitude it seed to radiate from the very core of his existence.
"You... sacrificed yourself for ?"
Leonidas’ voice cracked, filled with both awe and confusion. They had no bond before this mont. No shared history. Why would the Scarlet King offer his own life for another’s?
But Cain only shook his head and allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"I understood your plight. I admired your courage. That is why I helped you. But do not mistake —I have not traded my life for yours. The curse may have entered , but it will not break . It should take a century before it integrates fully into my existence and symptoms appear. By then, my power will be great enough to destroy it outright."
Leonidas stared at him, struck silent.
There was no false bravado in Cain’s voice. No hollow boast. His words rang with absolute conviction. He had already perford the impossible once—expelling the curse from another. Who was to say that in a hundred years, when his strength had grown even further, he could not perform an even greater miracle?
A whisper escaped Leonidas’ lips, more prayer than thought.
"Are there truly people like this in the universe?"
Awe. Admiration. The fla of loyalty surged within his chest. He knelt upon the ground, his knees striking the stone, and lowered his head.
"You did more than save my life. You returned my identity, my dignity. For that, I will follow you into war. I will fight at your side with everything I have."
The old Archdeity raised his head. A subtle red glow flickered in his eyes, resonating with the Scarlet Path. His voice thundered through the chamber:
"Hail the Scarlet King!"
Cain’s golden eyes glead with the light of The Flow. A wide, fierce smile stretched across his face as he saw the determination blazing in Leonidas’ soul.
"Rise, warrior of the Scarlet Path."
Leonidas stood. His towering fra exuded battle will so potent it made the volcanic stone tremble. Once, the disease had dampened his spirit, had chained him in sha and despair, content to fade quietly into oblivion. But now, with the curse torn away, the heart of the lion roared once more.
The flas of his will surged higher, fierce enough to scorch the heavens.
He was ready—not for peace, not for mourning, but for war.
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