My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"Why so quiet? Are you uncomfortable with the treatment I'm providing?"

At the sound of that voice, Jim, Natasya, and Rain gasped, their heads snapping toward the source. There stood Leon, strolling toward them with a playful smile.

Their expressions darkened immediately, and they fixed him with hostile gazes.

"What do you want, Demon Emperor?" Natasya asked coolly, though the hatred in her tone was unmistakable.

Leon stopped in front of the metal bars confining them, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"Relax. I'm just here to savor the sight of your misery," he replied, mocking them bluntly.

As his gaze fixed on the three, the memory of the devouring poison resurfaced, igniting a wave of hatred so intense it felt nearly unbearable. If he weren't holding back, he might have torn them apart right then and there.

At his mockery, Natasya and Rain seethed with humiliation and anger. They seemed ready to retort, but Jim quickly intervened, calming them.

"Demon Emperor, may I ask you something?" Jim said abruptly, catching Leon slightly off guard.

Leon's eyes narrowed as he studied Jim. After a moment, he gave a faint nod. "Go ahead."

Jim, his face pale, offered a faint smile and fixed Leon with a deep gaze.

"Demon Emperor, why do you hate us so much that you're determined to kill us? As far as I know, we've never even met before, have we?" Jim asked casually.

Natasya and Rain were momentarily taken aback by the question, their expressions betraying the realization of something peculiar. Memories of last night's war resurfaced in their minds.

During the battle, the Demon Emperor seemed fixated on killing Jim and Guren, as if they were his primary targets. This was odd, considering Luna and Valen—the heroes who had always been his sworn enemies—were also present. Yet, he showed no killing intent toward them, which was both strange and illogical.

Leon, however, was unfazed by the question. A faint smile played on his lips as he responded.

"Do I really need a reason to hate someone or to kill whoever I want?" he replied dismissively.

Jim shook his head lightly and replied, "No, someone as powerful as you doesn't need a reason to act. But since our first encounter last night, I've been observing you closely. You're not the kind of person who kills without purpose."

He paused, narrowing his eyes as a mysterious smile curled at the corners of his lips. "During last night's war, I noticed you didn't harm or even touch our human army. You only attacked Bow Hero Luna once, and it wasn't fatal. Even when you fought Spear Hero Valen, your strikes lacked any killing intent. But with me and Sword Hero Guren, it was a different story."

Jim stopped again, his gaze calm but piercing as he fixed his eyes on Leon. "So," he continued, "do you hold a grudge against me? No... that's not quite right. It's against the three of us, isn't it?"

Jim's precise and insightful analysis left Leon momentarily silent. Though his expression remained indifferent, a flicker of admiration crossed his eyes. Despite his intense hatred for Jim, Leon couldn't deny that Jim was incredibly clever, intelligent, cunning, and formidable.

There was no one in the world who could match him, except Edward. If only Jim possessed the same strength as the heroes, Leon was certain he would be a dangerous figure—so dangerous, in fact, that his threat level would only be one step below that of the Evil God. But it was all a fantasy, for Jim was going to die today.

Shaking off his thoughts, Leon smiled coldly and gave a slight nod, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, I have grudges against you—and against both of them," Leon said, his gaze icy as it bore into Jim, Natasya, and Rain.

A terrifying murderous intent radiated from his eyes, causing all three of them to feel a sudden, suffocating pressure. If that gaze could kill, they would have died countless times already.

Though Jim broke into a cold sweat under the weight of the killing intent, his expression remained unfazed, as if neither Leon's words nor the chilling aura surprised him.

"So that's it; I understand now. No wonder I kept feeling uneasy these past few days. Finally, I have my answer," Jim said quietly, letting out a resigned sigh.

At this, Leon's eyebrows lifted slightly, and he narrowed his eyes at Jim.

"What do you mean?" Leon asked coldly.

Jim leaned against the wall, offering a wry smile.

"I didn't expect you to survive after being exposed to the poison, Demon Emperor—no, I should call you Sword Hero Leon Kruger."

The mention of

"Leon Kruger"

left Natasya and Rain stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"Sword Hero Leon Kruger?" Natasya gasped in disbelief, turning to Jim. "Jim, are you being serious?"

Rain, equally stunned, looked to Jim for an explanation.

But Jim didn't answer. He simply stared at Leon, his face emotionless.

"Am I right, Sword Hero Leon Kruger?" Jim asked again.

Leon remained silent, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. His gaze at Jim carried an unmistakable sense of admiration.

"As expected from the Four-Eyed Demon, Jim Terran. You're impressively sharp," Leon praised with a chuckle.

*Whoosh!*n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In an instant, Leon's hair shifted back to its natural black, and his purple eyes gleamed with a golden hue.

He removed his half-face mask, unveiling his true appearance to them.

The moment Natasya and Rain saw the familiar, handsome face, their bodies froze, trembling violently and uncontrollably.

"Sword Hero Leon Kruger!? How is this possible?" Natasya's breath hitched, struggling to believe what she was seeing.

She had never imagined Jim's words were true. The figure they had assumed was the Demon Emperor turned out to be Leon Kruger—the supposedly dead Sword Hero!

Beside her, Rain was even more shocked than Natasya. She knew all too well how deadly the poison she had crafted was—a poison that no one, not even heroes, should have been able to survive.

Even if Leon had managed to last a while, he should have died within hours. So, how could he be alive and standing before them now?

Rain's confidence crumbled in an instant. For the first time, she began to question the effectiveness of the very poison she had made.

Amid the shock, only Jim remained composed. He sighed softly, then bowed his head, clasping his hands respectfully toward Leon.

"Prime Minister Jim, meet Sword Hero Leon Kruger," Jim greeted with respect.

Leon waved him off dismissively. "No need to pretend to be polite. After all, you're all going to die today."

Leon's blunt words caused Natasya's and Rain's faces to drain of color, though neither of them spoke up.

As soon as they realized the figure before them was Leon, they understood their fate was sealed. Though difficult to accept, they knew their end had been decided the moment they made that discovery.

Leon grasped the hilt of his sword and began to draw it but paused abruptly.

"Before I take your lives, there are a few things I need to know," Leon said suddenly, turning to Jim. "Did Velix try to kill me because he felt threatened by my status?"

Jim smiled faintly and gave a small nod. "Yes, you're right. The motive behind your assassination was largely due to His Majesty's insecurity about your achievements in the eyes of the people. He saw you as a threat to his position as Holy Emperor."

Leon narrowed his eyes at Jim's honest response and nodded slowly. From the beginning, he had suspected that Velix's motives were rooted in jealousy—a fear of the threat he posed.

Hearing it confirmed directly from Jim made everything clear.

"There's one more thing I need to ask: how did Guren Leywn come to possess holy power and the hero's destiny?" Leon asked again.

This question had been weighing heavily on him. Even Miranda herself had no idea how this could have happened.

Just as Leon hoped for a satisfying answer, Jim suddenly shook his head.

"To be honest, I don't know," Jim replied briefly.

Leon frowned in dissatisfaction, but he could sense the sincerity in his answer.

"In that case, why didn't Velix inform the Holy Orthodox about Guren's whereabouts?" Leon pressed, shifting to a different question.

Jim sighed softly before answering, "His Majesty kept it a secret because he intended to use Marquis Guren as a personal weapon to conquer the world."

Leon's eyes widened slightly at the revelation. He took a deep breath, struggling to rein in the burning anger he felt toward Velix.

"Velix's ambitions are far greater than I ever imagined,"

Leon muttered, his voice laced with fury.

The truth only strengthened his resolve to overthrow Velix's rule and unite humanity under one force.

Turning to Rain, sitting next to Natasya, Leon struggled to control the overwhelming murderous intent rising within him.

Rain was the primary cause of his exposure to the devouring poison, and his hatred for her surpassed even his feelings toward Jim or Natasya.

"Rain Violet, I have a question for you," Leon said coldly. "How did you concoct the Devouring Poison, and where did you get the recipe?"

Aside from the issue with Guren, the Devouring Poison that Rain had created intrigued him just as much. He wanted to know how she had obtained the recipe, especially since the Devouring Poison was one of the eleven ancient poisons recorded in the mysterious book discovered by Jared Crimson thousands of years ago.

In response to Leon's question, a faint look of confusion crossed Rain's pale, beautiful face.

"The Devouring Poison? How do you know its name?" Rain inquired, her voice laced with hesitation.

Leon shook his head dismissively, his tone flat. "You don't need to know that. Just answer my question."

Rain fell silent for a moment before responding softly, "I got the recipe for the Devouring Poison from someone."

"Someone?" Leon's eyebrows rose slightly. His voice grew sharper as he demanded, "Who is this someone?"

"I don't know," Rain admitted honestly. "He was wearing a black cloak that covered him from head to toe. He said the recipe for the Devouring Poison would help advance my research."

Rain's answer only deepened Leon's confusion, especially regarding the identity of the mysterious figure in the black cloak.

"Who is he? Why did he give Rain the recipe for the Devouring Poison? And where did he get it?" These questions swirled in his mind, but none had answers.

With a heavy sigh, Leon massaged his throbbing forehead. Everything had become more complicated, filled with puzzles that seemed impossible to solve.

Quickly, he pushed those concerns aside and refocused on Jim, Natasya, and Rain.

"Thank you for answering my questions," Leon said calmly before adding, "Now, it's time to send you on your way."

Rain's eyes wavered slightly, a clear reluctance in them.

She had yet to find her childhood friend and certainly didn't want to die. But deep down, she knew there was no escaping her fate—she would die today.

*Boom!*

The holy power surged from Leon's body as he drew his sword and raised it high.

His golden eyes burned with killing intent, and in a chilling tone, he shouted, "Die!"