Leo began to reravel himself, standing on the edge of the crater with just his legs as the rest of his body began to rebuild above them, coming together as limp strings grew stronger-grabbing his organs and shriveled catalyst from above and sucking them back into his form.
The troll lie at the center of the crater, looking up at Leo with a crazed expression on his disgusting face.
As Leo's face began to reform, he chuckled.
His catalyst was on the brink of something terrible.
Or maybe not...
Leo felt on top of the world.
"Recognize me... As no one has..." He coughed up the rest of the blood in his body, eyes widening as he realized that that had been the very last of his bodily fluids.
...
Leo was sitting on the opposite side of the table within a lively tavern, on the other side sat his teacher Luke.
"Hey teach?" He asked, leaning back in his seat and taking a swig of ale.
"Leo?" Luke asked, glancing around for anyone else from Unity to come and ease the tension of the coming conversation.
"Has your opinion of me changed?" He asked, clearly catching Luke off guard as he choked on what could have only been his own saliva.
"Huh?" Luke cocked an eyebrow, probably expecting Leo to start some sort of argument just as he did in his first year at Phoenix Academy.
In fact, Leo had been known as The problem child back in his early days at the school.
Professor Luke alone had given him several suspensions, detentions, and on multiple accords- tried to convince Leander to expel him...
So when Leo asked if he had changed... Luke could not comprehend the internal side of Leo.
"Do you think I've changed?" Leo asked, taking another swig of ale.
"On what basis?" Luke eventually asked, narrowing his vision as he looked at Leo with what clearly looked like distain.
"If you were to rank us Unity members? Where would you put me in terms of strength?"
"Oh... That's what you mean..." Luke almost looked disappointed at Leo's clarification.
However, Leo had not originally meant that to be the reason for the question.
Because Leo was in fact human. He felt emotions just like anyone else, but as the head of a noble family based on savagery and the original way humans used to live and conquer... He had been raised to ignore these emotions.
But that was impossible, he was aware of their existence. There were times when Leo was indeed forced to look into a mirror and question his own beliefs... His own way of life.
Chase had made him realize this during their time at Phoenix Academy... The way that he carried himself below others... Always putting others before himself...
That kid angered Leo at first.
It was against his beliefs...
He hated that.
So he hated Chase.
But it eventually forced him to change.
Leo became more aware of other's feelings, and in doing so...
Realizing his own.
There was a small burning sensation in his heart... Something pleading with him to apologize to Luke for his trouble in the past.
And yet he had failed to make the words known.
He frowned, awaiting Luke's response.
"Well it's hard to tell. You don't necessarily have a powerful attack or anything. But you also practically cannot die. Making you a horrible opponent for someone with less durability than you. But if you were to face someone with equal or more durability... I think you would almost certainly lose..."
...
Leo forced his grin to return, remembering a certain moment in his life as he stood within the largest crater of the battlefield.
"What's your name?" He asked, leaning his head back as his eyes threatened to roll backwards in his own skull.
The troll did not respond, but instead- Stood up, meeting Leo's crazed gaze.
"Fair enough... But ya know? I respect that about you. This isn't a game..." Leo smiled.
'Powerful attack... Huh?" Leo began to chuckle, feeling his catalyst start to burst apart, letting unfound energy flow violently through his body.
He lifted his bloodied hand.
Pointing at the troll.
"I need a name, troll dude..."
The troll almost took a step forward, but stopped at the words Leo had spoken, looking at him as if fighting the urge to speak... The urge to take back control of his own mind.
Leo panted heavily, keeping his finger pointed at the beast as he forced even more coherent speech.
"I get that the witch has you under his control... But if you could just give me a name... I will be able to continue this fight as if it had only just begun... Because in all honesty..."
Leo took a deep breath, pushing back his ragged orange hair with his left hand and forcing a grin as he continued.
"Because you... Are the toughest opponent I've ever fought..."
The troll's eyes narrowed, his scarlet lips twitching as he strained the muscles in his face.
"R- Rakshaa...."
Leo smiled with satisfaction.
"I'm Leo... And I'm about to kick your ass."
Leo launched himself into the air, spinning as if his battle had become dance.
He kept his finger pointed at Rakshaa, determination ruling over instinct within his own body and mind.
Then...
His catalyst imploded.
To much energy had formed within him, forcing his catalyst to simply... Erupt...
On the tip of Leo's finger...
Vibrant orange energy began to build up.
Forming an orb of powerful vibration...
Leo whispered...
...
"I would probably put you fifth... Below Gabriel, Michael, Equan, and Chase..."
Leo scoffed, but changed his tone. Quickly nodding at his once professor.
"So if I can make a spell or ability based on attack... I can be the strongest?" He asked, taking another swig of the ale and cocking an eyebrow at Luke.
"I suppose..." Luke gripped his bandana with a conflicted look on his face.
...
"Roar of the Lion..."
As Leo began to laugh, knowing that he had forced every last bit of energy in his body- into the tip of his finger...
Knowing that he had stopped any future regeneration or primis use of any kind...
He remembered that conversation with Luke.
'I'm sorry... Teach...'
His body violently screamed in agony as the tip of his finger launched a beyond powerful shockwave of vibrant orange energy straight at the ground Rakshaa stood upon...
BOOM!
Not once...
BOOM!
Not twice...
BOOOOOOM!
Three layers of magic stacked into one attack...
Three separate explosions firing at the same exact space... Only seconds after the first, the second, and then the third began to completely eviscerate the ground below, including the troll known as Rakshaa.
His unbreakable body began to disassemble, ripping apart at the seems and being pressed into the ground with an absolutely insane amount of energy output, beyond even that of Chase's flames.
Leo began to fall.
He had flown too close to the sun...
However...
One glance at the troll's shattering body...
A smile formed on Leo's blood-stained lips...
He was no doubt...
The strongest...