Without a second’s notice, a dark explosion erupted. Debris and smoke rose high into the air. Amidst the destruction, only a demonic cackle echoed. The demon revelled in its supposed victory.

  “You talked a big game! I could tell that was Excalibur. I guess your prophecy was a sham!” it screeched.

  Basking in triumph, the demon slowly stepped through the dark cloud of ash, grinning wide as it approached what it assumed was the carcass of its opponent.

  With a wave of its hand, the smoke dispersed—

  But standing tall amid the ash and rubble was Leonardo, sword raised by his hip, his left hand steadying its hilt.

  “What!?” the demon snarled.

  Leonardo’s blade moved like a brush, swiping along the air and painting the ground with a crimson arc. The demon stumbled back, a thin gash running across its chest, its eyes wide in disbelief.

  Leonardo’s expression had changed—his eyes burned with wrath.

  “Demon… my blade aches for revenge. For the kingdom that once was… for the comrades who fell to your armies… In the name of Camelot, I shall strike you down.”

  Snapping from its daze, the demon roared. “You only got lucky, boy!” It hurled a ball of dark flame, summoned instantly from a rune at point-blank range. “Burn in your own ar—!”

  But before it could finish, a clean, decisive slash sliced through the fireball and silenced its words. The flames split and scattered behind Leonardo, the sheer force sending shockwaves across the ground.

  Leonardo’s voice rang out—not his own, yet deeply familiar. “Boy? Do you not know who I am? Well, perhaps it’s hard to tell in this form. I am the avatar of the goddess of peace… the wielder of light… the last king of Camelot—Arthur Pendragon.”

  The demon froze.

  There was weight in every word. Precision in every step. This wasn’t the same boy from moments ago. This was someone else entirely.

  Reality returned like a slap. The demon slammed its palm to the ground, summoning a chained series of rune gates. From each, volcanic eruptions of dark flame burst upward in succession.

  Then it ran.

  Arthur only chuckled. Calmly, he raised his blade like a spear and hurled it with a swift heave. The sword rocketed through the flaming geysers and pierced the demon’s upper back, dragging it into the side of a nearby building.

  Before the demon could even scream, the blade boomeranged back to its master—dragging the demon like a ragdoll.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Leonardo’s possessed body moved again. A hard punt launched the demon forward. Then Arthur sprinted, catching up mid-air and delivering a crushing kick that sent the demon flying skyward.

  This can’t be happening. This isn’t Arthur. He’s just a damn kid! I need to fight back—now!

  Snarling in desperation, the demon retaliated. Flames surged around its hands, large runes spinning in the air. A massive dragon-shaped blaze burst forth—then split into three, all homing in on Arthur.

  But Arthur leapt into the air, golden rune gates forming beneath his feet with each bound, like steps on air. He twisted around the dragons, guiding them with his momentum.

  They turned too late.

  In a flash, Arthur extended his hand and grabbed the demon by the neck, hurling it straight into the oncoming dragons. The inferno meant to protect it now became its tomb.

  The ground shattered beneath the impact. Scorched and bleeding, the demon twitched in the crater. Its breaths were shallow. Its voice, weak, rasped out:

  “I… lost…”

  “It was fated,” Arthur said softly, landing beside it. “You lost because I was your opponent. Now sleep. Your brethren will join you soon.”

  He raised his blade for the finishing blow—then collapsed.

  Leonardo’s body hit the concrete with a sickening thud.

  “Evangeline!” Leonardo gasped, bolting upright beneath his covers. Blinking hard, he found himself in a warmly lit room.

  Staring at him in shock were Evangeline, Albert, Beflus, and what appeared to be a doctor.

  “W-wha…?” Leonardo stammered, still dazed.

  A smirk crept onto Evangeline’s face. She extended her fist.

  “You did it.”

  Leonardo stared in confusion, then slowly raised his hand and met her fist with his own. And in that instant, it hit him—memories of the fight came rushing back.

  He let out a deep, primal scream of victory. Everyone in the room jumped.

  Then, flustered, Leonardo quickly ducked under the covers again.

  Beflus cleared his throat. “It’s good to see you’re so… spirited. As we suspected, you are the chosen one. The one meant to bring change to this world. Will you accept that responsibility now?”

  Leonardo didn’t hesitate. “I will.”

  Evangeline blinked in surprise. “Leo…”

  Albert folded his arms. “Something’s different about you. What changed?”

  Leonardo looked down, then back up. “This world is terrifying. Seeing that demon—seeing everyone suffer—and realizing how much power I had… I couldn’t just sit back. I could keep up. I could hurt it. If I stayed passive… more people would suffer. I can’t be selfish.”

  “You overpowered that demon like a seasoned veteran,” Evangeline said proudly. “You’ll be amazing.”

  “…Though I did kinda lose that fight when I got hit by that last fireball…”

  “You might’ve lost parts of your memory,” Beflus said. “A side effect of wielding the blade. For now, you need rest. We’ll talk about next steps tomorrow.”

  He turned and left, the doctor following behind.

  Albert gave Leonardo a thumbs-up. “You really pulled through, squirt. Who knew the goblin attack was a diversion for a demon? Get some rest. You earned it.”

  He left as well, leaving Leonardo and Evangeline alone.

  “Eva, I—”

  She cut him off with a gentle smile. “It’s okay. We’re both alive. Let’s not worry about our fights. What matters now is you saving the world.”

  Leonardo smirked. “No. We have to save the world.”

  Evangeline threw her arms around him. “I won’t let you down.”

  As she pulled away, her expression turned more serious. “There’s something you should know. About what happened in the fight.”

  “Huh?”

  “That… wasn’t you. Not entirely. That was someone else.”

  Before he could respond, she winked. “I’ll explain everything when we begin our journey. Rest well, Leo.”

  She slipped out the door before he could stop her.

  Left alone again, Leonardo settled back under the covers, his eyes heavy. Whatever came next, he was ready.