(Meanwhile, Leonardo’s POV)
Leonardo could barely control his own muscles as he sprinted across the ruined battlefield, as the fear coursing through his body steadily became greater than the discipline that had guided him as a warrior throughout his entire life.
The dagger given to him by Mauriss felt unusually heavy within his hand.
Every step felt wrong.
Every instinct inside his body screamed at him to stop.
Because what he was about to do would either bee the greatest mistake he had ever made, or the decision that saved him from a future filled with endless pain and inevitable death.
’Forgive me for this, uncle...’
Leonardo thought as he continued running.
Because just as Mauriss had explained to him months ago upon Planet Granada, the true trap only began once Leo obtained the boots.
And now that he had finally done exactly that...
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
—--------------
(Planet Granada, Several Months Ago)
"So how exactly do you plan to kill my uncle? He is not dumb enough to fall for some mon scheme you know...."
Leonardo asked as thunder rumbled across the skies overhead, while a slow, disgusting smile spread across Mauriss’ face.
"I can already envision exactly how it’s going to happen."
Mauriss replied as he slowly began pacing across the wet stone beneath his feet.
"First, I am going to lure Skyshard into a formation specifically designed to drain divine essence the moment he steps on to it."
Mauriss explained as rainwater dripped from his bare chest.
"Once trapped inside it, his mobility will be reduced significantly, while his ability to travel through the Fourth Dimension and use [Seconds Walk] will bee pletely restricted."
He continued as he casually traced circles into the wet ground using the tip of his toe.
"Even under those conditions, I still fully expect him to put up an incredible fight....
I’ve seen that boy move, and I know that he’s even more fearsome than Soron or the Timeless Assassin, so I won’t make the mistake of underestimating him."
Mauriss admitted as genuine respect briefly flickered within his eyes.
"However, he will still lose, because the real trap won’t be in the formation, but something else entirely...."
Mauriss continued as his smile widened further.
"Even with his back against the wall, I can see Skyshard taking down at least one of us...
I don’t know whether it will be Lu Han, Du Trask, Clarence, Terrence, or Moltherak.
And frankly speaking, I don’t particularly care."
He explained as he lazily waved one hand dismissively.
"What matters is that, when one of us dies, the first thing Skyshard will do afterwards is try and steal the boots we all would be wearing, because by then, I would have already led him to believe that the boots are the key to escaping the formation’s restrictions, making it the only logical decision for him to make."
Mauriss muttered as amusement surfaced within his expression.
"He’ll steal them."
The Deceiver concluded as though the oute was already guaranteed.
"And once he does, he’ll feel the restrictions vanish.
His mana will flow normally.
His divine essence will stabilize and his confidence will return."
Mauriss explained as he slowly raised one finger into the air.
"And that is the precise moment when the true trap begins."
He finished as thunder exploded overhead.
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
Then Mauriss reached into his robes and produced a black dagger.
The weapon looked pletely ordinary.
Yet the moment Leonardo saw it, an unfortable feeling settled within his chest.
"This dagger is coated with the most corrosive poison I have ever created."
Mauriss revealed as he carefully handed the weapon over.
"It cannot kill a God.
It cannot permanently cripple a God.
However, it can interfere with regeneration, and for a Demi God like Skyshard, it can be lethal."
He explained as Leonardo accepted the dagger cautiously.
"Even for someone like Skyshard, who has the Cult’s secret healing methods at his disposal, this poison will slow that healing by roughly a factor of ten for a brief period of time."
Mauriss continued as he folded his hands behind his back.
"So what you need to do is..... when you see Skyshard wear those boots, you need to start approaching him from behind with this dagger in hand."
He muttered as he resumed pacing across the rain soaked stone.
"You will need to suppress your killing intent, because if you are openly hostile from the very start then Skyshard will sense the betrayal ing, so you need to think about anything except Skyshard.
And because you are his nephew, and because he trusts you pletely, he will never suspect the intention behind your approach."
Mauriss explained as Leonardo felt his heartbeat steadily accelerate.
"You will continue closing the distance until you reach roughly twenty meters."
He continued as his voice gradually became colder.
"And at that exact moment, I will activate the formation’s secondary function."
Mauriss explained as his eyes gleamed dangerously.
"The boots are merely a decoy.
Their purpose is to convince Skyshard that he has solved the puzzle."
He muttered as a wide grin spread across his face.
"While the real function of the formation is something else entirely."
Mauriss concluded, as Leonardo felt his stomach tighten.
"The moment I activate it, everyone standing upon that battlefield with the special boots will bee trapped."
Mauriss revealed as he slowly raised both hands outward.
"Skyshard, the Alliance Gods, Moltherak.....
Everyone, but you and me."
Mauriss said as he pointed directly toward Leonardo.
"And you shall use that opportunity to sever both of Skyshard’s legs in one strike."
He concluded, as Leonardo felt a shiver run down his spine.
"Sever my uncle’s legs?"
He asked, his voice cracking, as Mauriss nodded calmly.
"Yes, you will attack him from below, and while he struggles to understand what just happened, I will descend from above and decapitate his head."
Mauriss concluded as though he were describing something mundane.
"Together, we will kill the Cult Master."
He said, as for several long moments, Leonardo remained pletely silent.
Then Mauriss produced one final item.
A soul contract.
The parchment slowly slid across the stone until it stopped directly before Leonardo.
"Sign it."
Mauriss said as his expression finally lost all traces of amusement.
"I need certainty that you won’t attempt to deceive me."
He continued while staring directly into Leonardo’s eyes.
"The contract ends the moment you sever Skyshard’s legs."
Mauriss explained as lightning illuminated the skies behind him.
"Succeed, and you walk away free."
He continued calmly.
"Fail..."
Mauriss muttered as a dangerous smile slowly spread across his face.
"And the contract will kill you instantly for violating its terms."
He concluded as silence settled between them once again.
Leonardo stared down at the parchment.
Then at the dagger.
Then toward the ruined remains of his missing arm, before eventually, with a trembling hand and a heart filled with uncertainty, reaching forward and signing his name.
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