As Leo's incantation reached its zenith, multiple glowing magic circles manifested in a vertical stack around the brothers, erupting in a pillar of light that pierced the heavens. The sky curdled into an unnatural black, and the winds spiraled into a localized hurricane. Leo's eyes ignited with a blinding radiance as his consciousness was pulled from the physical world, entering a deep, metaphysical trance.
Leo found himself standing in a void divided by a perfect, infinite horizon. One side was a blinding, sterile white; the other, an absolute, consuming black. Guarding the threshold was a figure draped in a ragged, obsidian cloak, standing over seven feet tall. In its skeletal grip was a massive tome burning with cold, black flames, and its eyes flickered with a violent purple light.
"You stand in the place between life and death," the figure spoke, its voice echoing like grinding stones. "What you desire is beyond your reach."
"I disagree," Leo replied, his voice chillingly calm even in the presence of an entity of the afterlife. "Nothing is beyond my reach."
"You intend to resurrect a dead soul, shattering the laws that govern this universe," the figure countered. "You should know it is an almost impossible feat."
"Almost," Leo noted with a sharp, predatory smile. "That means there is a possibility. That is all I needed to hear."
"There are two ways to bargain with death," the figure explained. "The most common is the Exchange: a life for a life. Since you bridged this gap without a path, even your own soul would come at a price. And even then, both lives would face the dire consequences of bargaining with the Grave."
Leo's smile didn't fade. He understood the physics of magic well enough to know that the conservation of energy applied even to souls.
Reaching out from his trance back into the physical world, Leo didn't offer his own life. Instead, he reached toward the three paralyzed members of the Ravens. With a brutal tug of his will, he ripped their souls from their bodies and forcibly merged them with his own essence.
It was an extremely dangerous gamble—a single lapse in concentration and all four souls would entwine into a singular, horrific monstrosity. When Leo spoke again, his voice was a haunting layer of four distinct souls, speaking in unison.
"I have a proposal," the multi-vocal Leo declared. "I trade these three souls to forge a path. One to pay for my brother's return, one to pay for my own passage back, and the last to negate any future consequences this deal might bring."
The hooded figure paused, the black flames on its book flickering as it weighed the value of the three dark souls against the laws of the universe. Finally, it bowed its head.
"Very well then. The path is agreed."
The black dome of the void rippled and spat out Leon's soul, while simultaneously absorbing the three Ravens' souls from Leo's aura. The connection snapped, and Leo's consciousness slammed back into his body.
In the physical world, Leon's body began to levitate, glowing with a soft, restorative light. Robert Marcelo watched from the dirt in absolute, religious awe. Three of his comrades had just dropped dead, their souls harvested like wheat, but the child in front of him was performing a miracle that had never occurred in the history of the world.
This is truly magnificent, Robert thought, his fear replaced by a twisted sense of wonder. He is nothing short of a God.
The soul descended into Leon's body, and his eyes opened slowly as he floated back down to earth. The moment Leon's feet touched the ground, Leo collapsed; he had expended every drop of his mana and fallen into a deep state of unconsciousness.
The sheer magnitude of the Resurrection spell caused a brief, violent distortion in space and time. As Leo lost consciousness, his paralysis spell wore off. Seizing the opportunity, Robert scrambled toward a chest and retrieved a single-use artifact: a ring designed to undo high-level spells. With a flash, the ring shattered, but it successfully undid Leon's reality-warping "Silence" curse.
Robert's mouth returned, and he let out a jagged breath. Seeing all three siblings on the floor—the princess asleep and the princes exhausted—he believed he finally had what he needed. The sacrifice was still perfect, and he intended to restart the ritual.
Suddenly, Leon rose as if he had bounced off the ground. His face was a mask of cold, emotionless calm, but his aura emitted a pressure of pure, unadulterated rage.
"I have had enough of you," Leon muttered, his voice sounding like grinding metal. He stretched his hand toward Robert.
Robert froze in terror as his body began to disintegrate. His skin peeled away as if by invisible hands, his bones snapped like dry twigs, and blood began leaking from every pore in his body. He screamed in agony, unable to comprehend this new level of power.
A monster... he is a heartless monster! Robert thought as his internal mana became unstable. A second later, he exploded from within, leaving nothing but dust.
Leon walked gently toward the passed-out Leo. He knelt beside his brother, bowed his head with tears in his eyes, and whispered a single, heartfelt "Thank you."
Back at the palace, the King was in a state of absolute panic. Not only was the Princess missing, but now the two youngest princes had vanished as well. Queen Rika could no longer keep her composure, her wails echoing through the halls.
Just as the King prepared to announce the disappearance of the royal siblings to the public, a portal tore open in the center of the throne room. To the shock of the assembled court, Anna walked out first, followed by Leon, who was carrying the unconscious Leo in his arms.
Leon carefully laid Leo on the ground as the Queen rushed forward, sobbing. "My babies!" she cried, pulling Leon and Anna into a fierce embrace.
"Where were you?" the King's voice cut through the emotional reunion, cold and demanding.
"Apologies, Father," Leon said, bowing deeply. "I went to find my sister, and Leo followed me. I am sorry for not informing you in time."
"Do you have any idea how much panic you caused? The kingdom was—"
The King was suddenly cut off as the Queen spun around and yelled at him with a fury that silenced the room. "Enough! As long as my babies are safe, that is all that matters! Your 'incompetent' men couldn't do in days what two children did in hours!"
Her voice echoed through the palace, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. After a long moment, the King cleared his throat with a cough. "Alright... tell me, what happened to your brother?"
"He was exhausted from the battle," Leon replied calmly. "He is fine. He just needs rest, and we will be okay."
The King asked no more questions, allowing them to retire for the night. The crisis was over, but the legends of the two princes were only just beginning.
The news spread through the kingdom like wildfire. People whispered that the young princes were reincarnated heroes of old; some claimed they were a divine blessing from the gods, while others believed the two boys were gods themselves walking among mortals.
Leo finally woke up at sunset the following day. He had been unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he scanned the room, only to find Leon sitting on a nearby couch, casually reading a book.
"Oh, you're finally awake," Leon said with a mocking lilt in his voice. "Took you long enough."
Leo's rage flared instantly. "You fool! You literally died and almost forced me to sacrifice my own life to bring you back! Why didn't you tell me what you were planning to do?"
Leon's smirk faded. He dropped his book, stood up, and walked toward Leo's bed. He stopped at the bedside and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry for not telling you before making such a reckless decision. And more than anything, I am grateful that you came to save me. So... thank you," Leon said, his voice calm and sincere.
Leo's anger vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief. He hadn't expected such a humble apology, but considering his brother had lived many lifetimes, he supposed such maturity shouldn't be too shocking.
Leo smiled and replied, "Don't worry. You should know by now that I'll always find you..." He stretched his pinky finger toward Leon. "Let's make a pact: to always find each other and never betray one another. Always and forever."
Leon looked up, surprised. Memories of his past life as Yami flooded his mind—memories of the best friend he couldn't save back then. Now, he had a second chance, and he wasn't going to let it go.
He stretched his pinky finger forward, tears of joy streaming down his face. This time, he wouldn't fail. "Always and forever," he replied, and the two brothers shared a joyful smile.
Two years passed in a flash, and the princes were finally ready for school. The Royal Academy for Nobles was located in the capital, not far from the palace. Every member of the royal family was expected to attend; in fact, the oldest prince, Marcel, and Princess Anna had just recently graduated as the top scorers in their respective departments.
The young princes were overjoyed, believing they would finally be exposed to new and exciting spells. However, reality was about to knock on their door.
The royal guards escorted the princes to the academy in a magnificent golden carriage. As they stepped down, all eyes in the courtyard were fixed upon them. The brothers possessed nearly identical facial features and statures; the only striking difference between them was their hair.
Leon had locks of shimmering golden blonde, while Leo's hair was a brilliant silver. If they were to ever swap hair colors, it would be virtually impossible to tell them apart.
As they walked through the academy halls, whispers rippled through the student body. Some looked on in fear, while others watched with amusement, but none dared to approach them. Throughout the kingdom, they were famously known as the "Disaster Princes."
However, not everyone was deterred. Two girls walked up to them, their faces filled with admiration rather than dread.
"Hi! My name is Rachel, and it is an absolute pleasure to meet your Highnesses," one said, bowing gracefully.
"...And my name is Glen. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your Highnesses," the second girl added in a soft voice as she followed suit.
"Oh... there's no need for all that formality," Leon replied with a casual wave. "You can just be casual with us; it's really no problem." Leo nodded in quiet approval beside him.
"I've heard so much about the two of you," Rachel said, her eyes twinkling. "Though I don't fully believe everything I hear, I'd like to see your power for myself."
"We aren't actually that powerful, you know," Leo replied as they began walking toward their classroom. "Most of those stories are just over-exaggerated."
"I think you might be underestimating yourselves," Glen noted softly.
"I don't think so," the brothers responded simultaneously, both scratching their heads in a synchronized gesture of modesty as they entered the room.
The students settled into their seats, waiting for the lesson to begin. Soon, a man dressed in an all-black outfit walked majestically into the classroom. He wrote his name on the chalkboard in sharp, precise strokes before turning around to introduce himself.
"Hello, class. I am Mr. Charles Xenes, but you can all call me Mr. Xenes."
The moment he spoke, Leon and Leo felt a chill. They exchanged a sharp, curious look; their heightened senses immediately signaled that something was wrong. Something about this teacher was extremely off.