(Meanwhile, Leo’s POV)
Leo remained pletely focused on the enemies surrounding him, as after obtaining the insulated boots and freeing himself from the formation’s initial restrictions, he immediately began searching for the quickest way to reduce the enemy’s numbers while the momentum still remained on his side.
Among everyone currently standing before him, Du Trask attracted the most attention, as despite doing his best to hide it, the injured Gods fear of close bat became obvious the longer the battle continued.
’I think after Soron carved him up, Du Trask has grown a fear of fighting at close range...’
Leo concluded, as he searched for a way to get close to Du Trask, while avoiding being interrupted by the others.
However, while his attention remained fixed upon the enemies in front of him, Leonardo gradually closed the distance from behind, as the Demi God moved across the ruined battlefield with the black dagger concealed in his hand while suppressing every trace of hostility that could potentially reveal his intentions.
Naturally, Leo sensed him approaching.
Yet despite noticing Leonardo’s presence, he paid it little attention, because among everyone currently fighting on Planet Phoenix Prime, his nephew was one of the very few people whom he genuinely trusted with his life.
Which was why, what happened next surprised even him, as, just as he was about to make his move and charge towards Du Trask, he suddenly felt immobilized once more, as his whole body felt as heavy as a mountain.
’What?’
He wondered in shock, as around him, the other Gods also seemed to be facing the same problem, as for a moment it seemed like everyone had bee collectively immobilized.....
Everyone except Mauriss and Leonardo, as it was only now that Leo saw the full picture.
’So the shoe was the real trap...’
Leo realized as his eyes widened slightly, however, before he could do anything about the trap, one attack came towards him from below, while another came from above.
*SLASH*
*SLASH*
*BLOCK*
Realising that he could not block both attacks, Leo chose to save his life first, as of the two attacks ing his way he chose to block Mauriss’s one first.
*CLANG*
Without hesitation, Leo crossed both Origin Daggers above his head and intercepted Mauriss’ descending strike, as sparks erupted in every direction while the force of the collision shattered the ground beneath his feet and sent violent shockwaves across the battlefield.
However, while he successfully protected his neck—
*SLASH*
Leonardo’s dagger pleted its trajectory, as his own nephew slashed through his legs, above the special boots and below the knee, as Leo lost his balance and tumbled forward, while his sliced open leg spurt out blood in rapid bursts.
*Splat*
*Thud*
Falling on his knees, Leo lost his battle stance, as for a moment, he became vulnerable to a life ending attack, as Mauriss smiled and said—
"You were an entertaining opponent, Skyshard, and I will miss you a lot after you die, however, I guess this is goodbye.
I bet you never saw this double cross ing.
So in the end, all I want to say to you is that... this final strike is presented to you, courtesy of the Deceiver Mauriss."
Mauriss muttered as he plunged the blade downward with everything he had.
However, just as victory seemed guaranteed, an unexpected development suddenly took place.
*CLANG*
The Origin Dagger in his hand stopped inches away from Leo’s chest as, for a brief moment, Mauriss failed to understand what went wrong.
"Huh?"
The Deceiver muttered in surprise, as he looked at the man that had blocked him, and was shocked to see that it was the one armed Leonardo who was saving his uncle’s life.
"Boy? What the hell are you doing?"
Mauriss muttered, as the color slowly drained from his face, as he could not understand Leonardo’s current actions at all?
Afterall, Leonardo was the same individual who had double crossed the Cult and sliced off Leo’s legs just a couple seconds ago.
"You’ve signed a soul contract to me boy, you will die if you double cross me...."
Mauriss muttered as genuine confusion surfaced across his face, however, Leonardo simply responded with a trembling smile.
"The soul contract ended the moment I sliced off my uncle’s legs.
So as of this moment, I’m no longer bound to you...."
Leonardo muttered, as despite the overwhelming force bearing down upon him, he refused to yield even a single inch, and instead used the move [Immobilizing Chains] to restrict both his own and Mauriss’s movement.
"No... this can’t be...."
Mauriss muttered as he saw his perfect plan crumbling before his own eyes, as despite being this close to success, in the end he failed to taste victory.
Meanwhile, a faint smile slowly appeared across Leonardo’s face.
It was the relieved smile of a man who had finally survived the most dangerous gamble of his entire life.
While at that exact moment, Leo regrew his legs and disappeared, as defying Mauriss’s expectations of Demi God level regeneration, Leo instead used God level healing to tap into the law of time and return the state of his body to a moment before his legs were chopped off, as he corrected the damage done to him, as though it never happened at all.
[Seconds Walk]
Mauriss looked at him regenerate his legs in sheer surprise, as despite the battle dragging on for so long, he never once realized that Leo had already broken through to Godhood, as never once did Leo reveal the extent of his true power.
"Skyshard is a God? But when?"
Mauriss wondered in surprise, as no matter how he tried to think about it, his brain simply failed to prehend as to how a Demi God could ascend to Godhood in under a decade, as of all the variables he planned for before this fight began, this was a possibility that he did not even consider.
As in the end, although he tried to desperately save his life by turning around and blocking the move, Leo’s speed proved to be far superior to his own, as with Leonardo slowing him down with his chains, Leo’s dagger ultimately sliced through his neck clean.
*SHING*
Mauriss’ head separated from his body, the Deceiver’s final expression remaining locked in confusion, as till the end he could not understand as to why Leonardo would double cross him after giving him everything that he wanted?
As at that moment, Leo’s face finally entered his field of vision, with the Cult Master explaining to him as to where he went wrong.
"You really thought you were the only one capable of planning ahead?"
Leo questioned calmly as he looked down toward the Deceiver’s severed head.
"You really thought you could turn my own nephew against me?"
Leo continued as Leonardo finally released the breath he had been holding since the battle began.
"Of course you thought you could, because a man without principles like you with no family and nobody to trust your life to, can never understand the power of trust and familial bonds.
And that’s why you failed.
Because unlike you, my nephew is not a selfish piece of scum....
I arranged for you to meet him.
I arranged for him to betray me.
From the very start you were dancing in my palms.
Because although you think yourself to be the smartest individual in the universe, your flaw is that you can never envision your opponent trusting their back to another, because you can never do it yourself.
So in the end, that’s how I beat you....
I beat you by trusting my nephew to be smart enough to walk into your trap, and still find a way to save me, which he did."
Leo said, as he stomped down on Mauriss with his instantly regenerated feet, as in the end, Leo did not even let the Deceiver die with that disgusting teeth of his intact and instead, he stomped it out, to leave Mauriss as a broken and mangled piece of corpse.
"I know you find sadistic joy in breaking families and double crossing allies, however, that’s not how things go down today.
Today, you lose.
Because, in the end, this double cross was brought to you by the Cult Of Ascension, you lying sack of shit!"
Leo concluded as across the battlefield, the remaining Gods finally realized that the greatest deception of the war had never belonged to Mauriss at all, but rather to Leo Skyshard, who had always been two steps ahead.
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