My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

An hour later...

Leon stepped out of the underground prison, his expression cold and indifferent, betraying no sign of relief or satisfaction.

In his right hand, he held a sword, its blade slick with fresh blood.

"Do you regret your decision, master?"

Miranda's soft, soothing voice echoed in his mind.

Leon swung his sword to the right, quickly clearing the patches of fresh blood from its blade. Sheathing his sword, he sighed and shook his head.

"If you're asking, my answer is yes. I regret not torturing them first,"

Leon replied nonchalantly, his eyes still gleaming with lingering killing intent.

"Pfft! But maybe it's for the best,"

Miranda teased with a light laugh.

The killing intent faded from Leon's gaze, replaced by a soft smile.

"Yes, you're right,"

he chuckled quietly.

As the conversation with Miranda continued, hurried footsteps suddenly broke his focus.

Leon cut off the communication and turned, spotting Kaelen sprinting toward him.

"General! General! Something terrible has happened!" Kaelen exclaimed, halting in front of Leon, breath catching in his throat.

From Kaelen's expression, Leon could tell that something serious was happening.

"What happened?" Leon asked calmly, narrowing his eyes.

Kaelen took a moment to catch his breath before answering urgently, "Marquis Guren's body has disappeared!"

Leon's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Guren's body disappeared? How is that possible? Weren't there ten demon soldiers guarding him?" Leon asked, clearly surprised.

After the battle ended with Luna's and Valen's surrender, Leon hadn't forgotten about Guren. He had been knocked unconscious by Leon's attack and was placed under the watch of ten demon soldiers in one of the demon army tents.

His original intention in sparing Guren was for Miranda to examine his body and uncover the source of the holy power and hero's destiny within him. However, he never anticipated that Guren's body would vanish before the soldiers, leaving him completely bewildered.

Kaelen nodded hesitantly and explained, "There were ten soldiers guarding and patrolling around the tent, but when one of them checked inside, Marquis Guren's body was gone."

Leon's brows furrowed, and he fixed Kaelen with a piercing gaze.

"Are you saying his body just vanished without any signs of disturbance?" Leon asked.

"Yes, it disappeared without a disturbance!" Kaelen confirmed.

Leon fell silent, his expression behind the mask darkening. With his current strength, he could sense even the smallest fluctuations within a five-kilometer radius. Yet, he hadn't detected anything earlier, which meant Guren's disappearance wasn't as simple as it seemed.

After a deep breath, Leon placed a hand on Kaelen's shoulder and said, "Take me there."

Kaelen nodded and immediately led Leon to the location of the demon army's tents.

...

News of humanity's army's defeat spread with shocking speed. Spies stationed at the borders by the Holy Empire of Elysium and the Holy Orthodox quickly relayed the information to the Palace and the Holy Hall.

Had this news reached the public, the resulting uproar would have been unimaginable.

Fortunately, both sides kept the information under wraps to prevent chaos that could threaten their stability.

On the throne, Velix's expression darkened as he read the scroll detailing humanity's army defeat.

"How could this happen?! It shouldn't have been possible!" Velix roared, ripping the scroll to shreds.

His face flushed with rage, his breath heavy, and blue veins bulged from his forehead, a clear sign of his fury.

"Losing to those filthy demons? This is an outrage!" Velix snarled through clenched teeth.

In this war, he had poured 70% of Holy Empire Elysium's resources into the effort, confident of victory.

Yet the outcome was far from what he expected. Instead of triumph, the entire human army—along with Luna, Valen, Jim, Natasya, and Rain—had been decisively defeated.

Had he not managed to control his fury, he might have destroyed everything around him.

"Damn it! I don't know what happened to Valen, Luna, Jim, Natasya, and Rain after this defeat. Are they still alive, or have they fallen to the Demon Emperor?" Velix muttered, hatred flashing across his face as his hands clenched into fists.

The reports described a mysterious figure in a black half-face mask who had appeared among the Demon army, suspected to be the Demon Emperor. It was also noted that the Demon Emperor's power was such that he could defeat Valen, Luna, and Guren, who wielded the Holy Sword of Zenith.

Though it was difficult to believe the Demon Emperor could achieve such a feat, the reports were credible, and Velix had no reason to doubt them.

"With their fates uncertain, this poses a serious threat that could shake the very foundation of the Empire," he murmured, his voice laced with distress.

All of them, especially Jim, Natasya, and Rain, were key pillars of the Holy Empire of Elysium. Losing them would undoubtedly have a catastrophic effect on the Empire's stability.

Velix imagined that if this news were to leak, the people would be shaken, their trust in him would plummet, and his position as Holy Emperor would be in serious peril.

"Damn it! This is all the Demon Emperor's fault!" Velix roared, his anger boiling over.

He had never met the Demon Emperor of this era, never even laid eyes on him. Yet, that Demon Emperor had crushed him utterly, dismantling his years of carefully laid plans for world domination.

If he hadn't killed that Demon Emperor with his own hands, he would never have found peace in his life.

As Velix stewed in fury and despair, a small wisp of black smoke appeared on the ceiling of the throne room. It grew rapidly until it covered half the ceiling. From it, a terrifying face with blood-red eyes emerged, staring at Velix with a cold, indifferent gaze.

"Velix Larrison, what is your answer to our offer from a few days ago?" The cold, emotionless voice emerged from the figure's mouth.

Velix's expression darkened at the sight. A few days prior, several cloaked figures had approached him, their appearances hidden.

They claimed to be from a mysterious force known as

"The Temple of Twilight"

and offered him a chance to join them.

As a Holy Emperor, standing above millions, Velix could never align himself with such an unknown force and firmly rejected their offer.

However, the mysterious figures showed no anger and gave him time to reconsider.

Today marked the deadline they had set, and Velix hadn't expected them to return.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Shaking off his thoughts, Velix curled his lips into a mocking smile and coldly met the face's gaze.

"My answer remains the same—I refuse," he said, his tone unwavering.

A moment of silence passed before the face spoke once more.

"Are you certain you're refusing our offer again? Don't you understand your position now, Velix Larrison?" The face asked, its tone nonchalant.

Velix raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening.

"What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

The mysterious face studied him for a moment before responding, "The Army of Humanity has been decisively defeated by the demon forces. Meanwhile, your trusted subordinates—Jim Terran, Rain Violet, and Natsaya Nox—have disappeared without a trace. Their absence will undoubtedly cripple the foundation of the Empire. And if the people were to learn of this, they would surely be deeply disappointed in you."

It paused briefly, a mocking smile curling on its lips as it added, "When that happens, do you really think you'll be able to maintain your status as Holy Emperor?"