Tyrant Emperor

Leon felt his world become vibrant, though he couldn't see it. All his surroundings seemed to have a touch of color, as if he had been reborn into this world.

"I can feel it." He waved his hand, and a faint ripple passed through the air. Instantly, everything in the room became crystal clear to him, as bright as the light of day.

The room was a mess, with things scattered here and there.

"Fuck!" Leon ran off, heading straight for the kitchen.

"Mother, are you there?"

His heart trembled violently as he reached the corridor.

Then, steeling himself, he moved forward. There was no one.

"No, what happened?" Leon muttered, walking away and into the room, following the sound of his own footsteps.

"Leon, have you finally come home?" A shadow streaked through the space before wrapping around him in a tight hug.

Instinctively, Leon dodged, drawing the knife hidden in his pocket in one swift motion, slashing downward.

"Leon, why are you attacking me, my child?" Zara's voice was soft and filled with a calm, unshaken confusion.

"Nice try." Leon's expression remained cold and composed. The small dagger in his hand sliced through the air in a swift arc, heading directly for her neck.

But just as the blade was about to make contact, she ducked, her leg coming up with blinding speed to deliver a kick to his chest.

Leon was sent hurtling through the air, crashing into the wall in a single motion. His eyes widened in shock as he violently coughed, struggling for breath.

"Hehe, brat, how did you know I wasn't your mother?"

"Now I know." Leon tilted his head, his voice steady.

The woman paused, her eyes narrowing. "You were going to attack your mom? What if she had really been your mother?"

"My mom is stronger, much better than you," Leon said, slowly propping himself up with his arms against the wall, the small knife still aimed at her. "The reason I figured it out is… because you're weaker than her."

"Oh?" The corner of her lips curved upward. "Hehe, you're quite the delusional brat if you think I'm weaker."

"No." Leon straightened his back, shaking his head. "My mom won. She's stronger, smarter, and better than you. Besides…"

Boom!

He stomped the ground and launched himself forward.

"… You brat," the woman muttered, her voice filled with irritation. In an instant, she gave chase.

Leon ran with every ounce of his strength, his legs moving faster than they ever had before, as he bolted out of the house.

Outside, near the base of a tree, lay his old wooden spear.

But just as he was about to reach it, a wave of agonizing pain ripped through his back, flinging him forward at an impossible speed.

"Noo…" With his last breath, Leon reached out and grasped the wooden spear mid-air, just before crashing into the tree.

"I thought you were after something special," the woman's voice mocked him, dripping with disdain. "But all you grabbed was a simple wooden spear. Do you really think this can save you?"

Leon coughed violently, a torrent of blood spilling from his mouth, his face now smeared with crimson. A deep, burning wound on his back throbbed, each pulse sending waves of agony through him.

The blow caused a small tear in his blindfold, and for the first time, Leon could see the face of his attacker.

She looked almost identical to his mother—her voice, the shape of her face—all of it seemed like an unsettling replica. She held a red staff in her right while sneering at him.

"You are a dead bitch. How dare you use my mother's face?" Leon roared with bloodshot eyes, his grip tightening around the wooden spear.

"Haha, we'll see about that," she chuckled, rotating her staff into a ready position, crouching low.

A tense silence stretched between them, their eyes locking in a fierce, silent battle of wills.

Leon moved first, his body surging forward with a battle cry:

"Rapid Thrust!"

The woman countered effortlessly, spinning her staff like a fan, the blurry motion of it imprinted upon the air, deflecting the attack with ease.

Every thrust was perfectly parried with expert precision.

Then she raised her leg in one swing and kicked his gut, sending him backward by two steps.

A searing pain emanated from his back and now the front. It almost felt like his entire breathing pipe was jammed; even standing became difficult.

Leon's eyes were extremely blurry as he looked at her with difficulty beyond words. It felt like he was going to die in the next moment.

"I…" He looked at his trusted wooden spear, something he had been familiar with for over five years, something he had spent half his lifetime on, but…

"What is the meaning of learning all this if you can't take out someone like this?"

This thought flashed in his mind as a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

The grip on his spear tightened, and his muscles coiled.

"Impaler."

"Hehe, fool, you couldn't be more obvious."

The woman curved her body like a snake, slithering past the spear and getting very close to him.

"What are you going to do now, brat?"

Swish!

The wind rustled as a small curved knife ruthlessly tore through the air, a streak of blood splattering before landing on the ground, from her right cheek, a small scratch appeared with blood bleeding out.

Leon swung his knife from one hand again, directly aiming for her chest.

"This…" She dodged with a masterful curve, then backtracked.

Unfortunately, Leon didn't give her time as he threw the curved knife like a shuriken with a spinning force while thrusting his spear with his other hand.

Bang!

The woman narrowly dodged the curved knife, but she failed to avoid the wooden spear, which landed squarely against her ribs.

The moment it connected, a sharp crack echoed through the air as her ribs shattered, a brutal shockwave pulsing through her heart.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Leon, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"Are you even an assassin? What kind of assassin talks so much like an idiot?" Leon's voice was cold as he rapidly thrust his spear into the same spot.

The first thrust barely scratched her, but the second was empowered by his yellow chakra, surging violently through his body. The spear broke through her rib cage, shattering the bones and directly destroying her heart. The third thrust made a bloody hole appear…

But Leon didn't stop with bloodshot eyes.

"You should never underestimate a weapon—whether it's wooden or not."