Solflare: The Painter's Secret

Chapter 265: Catch This I: Riven vs Leon

A streak of gold light tore through the entrance of the Umbarkar Realm, kicking up a wall of dust as Leon touched down.

The blue glow of the kinetic-drift shield was now gold, while the red-gold cloth fluttered in the air like feathers behind Leon.

The moment he lowered both himself and the drift shield, his eyes widened when he saw the Syrs at the Umbarkar Realm reduced to a sea of corpses.

"What came to take revenge in my aid?" He threw confused glances around when he jumped off the drift shield and began walking on foot.

Skeletal Serakels with silver bones hung on the Ziggurat when Leon stopped at its base.

Loud clicking sounds echoed from behind him, but when he turned, he only caught stones rolling on the bloodied ground.

"Whatever that was, I know it is not normal." He squinted in the direction the rolling stones were heading, then jumped onto the drift shield and dashed toward it.

Sharp old copper coins and burnt metal flew into Leon’s lungs when he stopped at the back of the skeletal-made throne.

He pulled out one of the Hi-no-Kami and slowed the drift shield when clicking and yawning sounds echoed from the other side of the throne.

The more Leon moved toward it, the more the sound increased. ’The drift shield in its drift mode will only increase the detection rate. I do not need it for now.’

He jumped off it and began walking toward the front of the throne, while the metal transformed into its shield mode.

A blue-eyed human with white hair caught Leon’s eyes and made him sigh. ’At least he is also a human. But when did he come to this place?’

"Hello," Leon called out but kept his fingers wrapped on the Hi-no-Kami.

The white-haired boy shifted a delightful gaze to Leon then hurled the Syr’s bone he was chewing away.

"So, you are Leon Storm?" He leaped into the air like a bird and folded his hands when he stopped in front of Leon. "I am Riven. Care to know my name before"

A loud howling sound echoed and diverted Riven’s gaze, but Leon kept a fixed stare on him.

’How did he know my name?’ Leon squinted at the guy’s face, then loosened his jaw. "I think you are referring to one of my teammates. Have you seen him?"

Leon moved the sword at his back then took a step forward. "And how are you able to remain in the air without any gadget used in Agatha Special Force?"

Riven lowered himself to the ground and laughed. "The weak human pretending to be strong? How pathetic!"

A white glow seeped out of his blue eyes when he locked eyes with Leon. The moment he caught the cloth wrapped around Leon’s neck, a wide smile tore on Riven’s face. "If you say you are not Leon, then why are you having Leon’s cloth on your neck?"

He shifted glances at the weapons Leon was carrying and the torn part of his cloth, then shook his head once.

Riven walked back to the throne. He relaxed his hands and crossed his legs, but kept his gaze locked on Leon. "Since you claim you are not Leon, get lost. I have no interest in wasting time explaining what I am going to do to his pathetic mother and sister."

Leon’s eyes blazed with the solflare when the words went deep in his gut. ’No, Feng, Zoe, and Mr. Lee are there, he is just lying.’

He lowered his gaze to the blades of the Hi-no-Kami, then lifted a smiling face to Riven, but the guy did not laugh in return.

"Gotcha!" Riven leaped into the air and hurled a sonic blast at Leon without hesitation.

The impact sent Leon a few meters back, but he caught himself and exhaled once.

"You are the reason I have been here for countless days!" Riven screamed and dashed forward like a bolt of lightning, but Leon blocked him and hurled him aside.

"Why are you attacking me, am I your enemy?" Leon asked with a curious but unintrigued face, then placed the Hi-no-Kami at his back.

A silver spear materialized into Riven’s hand as he dashed forward again. "Catch this if you can!"

Leon sighed in disappointment and shook his head. He sidestepped all of Riven’s fifteen attacks and punched him in the chest, sending him crashing into the skeletal throne.

Warm blood streaked out of Riven’s lips, but he wiped it off and leaped back into the air. ’How is he able to withstand the same attacks I used on the Syrs and not even shed a single sweat?’

Air blasted around him as he dashed forward again. Leon stood there until the tip of the spear reached him and held it with his thumb and index finger. "Why are you stressing yourself instead of answering my questions, Riven?"

Riven’s eyes widened, but he loosened his grip on the spear and kicked it forward. Sparks ignited in the air as the spear streaked on the chest plate of the war suit.

"I only act. I do not answer questions." Riven dashed forward. This time every punch he threw was three times the force of the ones he had used before, while his thin body also enlarged as if he had undergone a transformation.

"So be it." Leon stood his ground and moved his hands upward, downward, and turned his head, until Riven stopped. "Are you tired?"

Riven slammed his boots on the ground, lava bursting out of it like hell pillars. As soon as he placed his palm on it, the pillar of lava materialized into countless white spears.

Riven leaped into the air with one leg crossed on the other and arms stretched aside, then closed his eyes. "Crush him!"

Below, Leon drew a single Hi-no-Kami and smiled. The red-gold cloth moved from his neck and transformed into the glowing halo behind him as he dashed through the spears until he broke the last one.

Sweat trailed thin lines on Riven’s face while his heart rate spiked when he saw the tip of Leon’s sword at his face.

"Why do you want to fight me? Tell me so I know whether I should fight you or just continue to finish why I am here." Sharp air flew out of Leon’s mouth as he exhaled, while the halo around him blazed, turning almost everything in the room into fire.