A Few Days Later
Leo tossed and turned restlessly in his bed, his mind trapped in the clutches of a haunting nightmare. His body covered in sweat as he mumbles incoherent words, his body begins to tremble in fear as he relives a memory he had forgotten.
Deep within his mind, he found himself standing in a dimly lit room, the air heavy with tension and apprehension. Across from him stood a figure shrouded in darkness, her features obscured by shadows. Despite the lack of light, Leo could feel the weight of her gaze, cold and unyielding.
"Leo you worthless piece of trash," the figure hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "You thought you could escape me? You thought you could leave without consequences?"
Leo's heart pounded in his chest as his mind tried to remember the voice, a chill ran down his spine. It felt familiar but he couldn't remember her face or name, but it felt like he knew her.
The scene around him shifted and warped, the room melting away to reveal a twisted landscape of pain and despair. Leo found himself bound and helpless, his wrists and ankles chained to the ground, leaving him at the mercy of his tormentor
The 'familiar' woman stands over him, her eyes blazing with fury as she raised her arm. Tightly held in her hand was a braided whip made out of cold leather, it cracked as she gave it a test swing. A menacing smirk graces her face as she let the long piece of leather cut through the air before snapping onto his back.
Instantly he jolted forwards in pain, his back reddening from the shock. Her eyes still blazing with fury had a twinkle of amusement mixed in. Each crack of the whip slowly began to mangle his back and arms, sending waves of agony ripping through Leo's body. He cried out in pain, his voice drowned out by the echoes of his own suffering.
"Pathetic," she sneered, her voice a cruel echo in the darkness. "You thought you were strong, but you're nothing but a pathetic, little boy."
Leo struggled against his restraints, his heart pounding in his chest as he desperately fought to break free from his tormentors grip. But no matter how hard he tried, he remained trapped, unable to escape the torment of this forgotten memory.
Crimson red began to drip down his back, the welts have split open from the never ending torture. The woman begins to laugh at his pain, each crack causes blood to sprinkle over the floor and walls.
Leo shoot up off the couch and was gasping for air in the darkness of Koneko's living room. Though his heart still raced with the echoes of his ordeal, the memory remained unsealed. It replays over and over as he stares at his trembling hand, each crack of the whip echoes in his subconsciousness as the pain makes his body throb.
"Calm down, your okay... your okay..." He whispers to himself with a shaky voice, his eyes unfocused as he stares off into space.
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the classroom, casting a warm glow over the rows of desks and students diligently taking notes. Leo sat at his desk, his eyes heavy with exhaustion as he struggled to keep himself awake.
Despite his best efforts, sleep had eluded him throughout the night, haunted by the nightmare as it replayed in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he was transported back into other dark places, reliving the horrors he had long since buried.
Leo rubbed his temples wearily, trying to shake off the lingering effects of the nightmare. He knew he needed to stay awake or he'd be forced back into that place, but the exhaustion weighed heavily on his mind, making it difficult to concentrate.
Issei, seated beside Leo, couldn't help but notice his friend's distress. He had always been observant of Leo's moods, and today was no exception. With a furrowed brow, Issei leaned closer to Leo, whispering softly.
"Hey, Leo, Are you okay?" Issei asked, his voice filled with concern. Leo glanced up, forcing a tired smile onto his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, his voice hoarse from the lack of sleep. "I just didn't get much sleep last night, that's all."
Issei's expression softened with understanding. He, too, had some nights where Raynare killed him over and over.
"Maybe you should take it easy today," Issei suggested, his tone gentle. "You look like you could pass out any second."
Leo shook his head and lightly slapped his face to stay awake. "No can do; I have some contracts to complete. Besides, I can sleep when I'm dead." He said it in a joking manner. Issei sighed at this.
"Speaking of contracts, Rias asked me to supervise your next one. It looks like I'm tagging along with you tonight." Leo said, smiling over at Issei. The brown-haired teen nodded his head. He had been struggling to get a pact since they began getting summons; Leo on the other hand, has been getting pacts left and right easily.
"Sweet! You'll be able to help me get a pact." Issei spoke, his excitement evident in his words. Leo chuckles quietly. "I am curious to see how you do things and why you never come back with a pact."
Issei's shoulders slump slightly as a defeated aura hangs over him. "My client always seems to have a good time but never gives me anything; they just send me on my way." Issei explained. Their conversation was abruptly cut short by the sudden silence that fell over the room. They looked up to see their teacher, Mrs. Monroe, staring at them with a raised eyebrow, her hand pausing mid-write on the blackboard.
"Issei Hyoudou, Leo Young," Mrs. Monroe's voice was calm but carried an edge of authority. "Since you both seem so engaged in your own discussion, would you care to share with the class what's so fascinating?"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the classroom, with students turning in their seats to look at the duo. Issei shifted uncomfortably at the gaze of his peers; he glanced at Leo for support.
As Leo stood up, a sudden scoff caught everyone's attention. Turning, they saw Murayama with a look of disgust on her face.
"It's probably something lecherous. Like a girl, the beast had set his eyes on to grope." She states that some of their classmates laugh quietly, and some of the others shoot the duo a look of disgust.
"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. I apologize; Mrs. Monroe, me, and Issei were discussing an activity within our club. Our president has been pushing for the both of us to be more helpful and productive inside and outside of school, ma'am."
Mrs. Monroe tilts her head curiously. "Helpful and productive, you say? How so?"
Issei, feeling the weight of the class's gaze, stood up as well. "Yes, ma'am. We were talking about doing some community service. Like helping people with small tasks. In school, we thought we'd offer a hand with the student council; I can imagine they are packed to the ceiling with paperwork."
There was a brief pause, and Mrs. Monroe's curiosity turned into a beaming smile. "Community service and helping the student council, hm? That's wonderful. Oh, to be young and full of drive. You two are setting a fine example that more of your peers should be following."
Issei and Leo exchanged a quick glance, both feeling relieved.
"Thank you, ma'am," Leo replied, nodding earnestly. "Your words are too kind."
Mrs. Monroe gave him a beaming smile. "Now, let's focus back on our lesson. We were just discussing the sen-goku period of Japanese history."
As they sat down, Issei leaned over and whispered, "Nice save, man."
Leo chuckled softly. "Next time, let's make sure not to get caught."
The classroom settled back into its usual rhythm, and Murayama kept shooting an angry glare towards Leo's back.
The evening sky was painted in hues of deep purple and gold as Issei and Leo stood outside a unique pink door with a reef of flowers. The nameplate has the number of the apartment, which was 206. Leo glances down the balcony to see the other doors, but they are plain white; some didn't have a number plate, meaning they were vacant.
"Okay, Leo," Issei said, his voice wavering slightly. "It looks like this is the place; is the client a chick?"
Leo placed a reassuring hand on Issei's shoulder. "Remember, Issei, just be confident. Show that you're capable and willing to help with whatever the client needs."
Issei nodded, taking a deep breath before stepping forward to knock on the door. A few seconds pass before a response comes.
"Door's open! Come in, sweet tits!" A deep, lispy voice says through the door. Issei slowly turns and looks at Leo with a weirded-out expression on his face.
"Did I hear that correctly?" Leo asks, and he turns his gaze to his friend to see him sweating, stiffen up, and slowly nod.
"Y-Yeah, sweet tit's. I'm leaving..." Issei says as he slowly tries to sneak away, but the door quickly swings open, revealing an interesting sight.
A towering, muscular man dressed in a frilly, pink maid outfit. In one hand is a normal wand for a cosplayer that looks like it's for a small child in his hands. He has a wide, friendly smile, and his sparkling eyes are a stark contrast to his intimidating physique.
'Holy shit...' Leo thinks as he stares wide-eyed at the behemoth before him. Issei starts to tremble under the large man's gaze, and they watch as he hops around and does a pose.
"What's the 4-1-1 bitch? I'm Mil-tan~" He says introducing himself to the two. "Nice to meet you. Did you summon a devil from the house of Gremory?" Leo asks professionally.
"You know it, bitch! This tall drink of chardene has a wish; she wants your asses to fill!" Mil-tan takes an energetic step forward and clasps his hands together.
"Please, please make me a magical girl!"
Issei slowly recovers while running a hand through his hair.
"You should travel to a parallel universe or something." Mil-tan turns his gaze towards the now-recovered Issei.
"I tried that already." Mil-tan states, Leo decides to step back and lean against the railing to see how Issei handles clients. The brown-haired teen looks up, slightly sweating from the sudden response.
"You did?!"
Mil-tan takes a step forward, causing the ground to slightly rumble. Issei takes a step back and raises an arm to shield himself.
"Come on, Devil Man!" Mil-tan pleads with hope in his eyes, and Issei takes another step back in fear.
"Sorry!"
Leo watches with an amused smile on his face, and he stifles a laugh that was about to escape his mouth.
"Please grant me fantasy powers. I'll let you lick my loli-pop." Issei recoils with a horrified look on his face at the offer. Leo turns his back to the two and lets out a chocked-out chuckle.
"You already look fantastical." Issei says it in a deadpan tone. Mil-tan begins to loudly cry into his hands. Leo quickly puts on his professional mask and steps forward to stand next to Issei. He glances to see him standing there with an unsure look. Leo sighs and lightly nudges him forward.
"Calm down! We don't want to wake the neighbors, so let's go inside and talk about it, okay?" He says trying to diffuse the situation. Mil-tan instantly stops crying and smiles brightly at the two.
"You're going to make me a magical girl?!" He asks with hope in his voice. Issei's shoulders drop, and he slowly nods.
"We can talk about it." He says hesitantly, Mil-tan lets out a squeal of joy before quickly running into his apartment, his loud footsteps echoing around the apartment complex. Just as quick as he ran in, he ran back towards the two with an excited smile on his face.
"Th-Then let's watch Magical Girl Milky Spiral 7 Alternative together! You'll see its magical powers!" He says that while flexing his arms, the cosplay he's wearing slightly rips before he disappears back into the room to get everything set up. Issei lets out a sigh and turns dejectedly towards Leo.
"Kill me now... Take me outside and shoot me in the stupid face." He says at Leo, he chuckles at his friends antics and claps him on the back.
"Ready to get this marathon started!?" Leo asks enthusiastically. A loud squeal echoes from inside the apartment as Mil-tan peeks around a corner.
"Tiny Tim, you need to be more like this fabulous hunk!" He states this before disappearing around the corner again. Issei pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out one last dejected sigh before slowly entering through the doorway. Leo follows behind and closes the door to start the eventful marathon.
4 Hours later...
The nigh sky was calm, the moon casting a soft glow over the quiet streets of Kuoh Town. But after the contract Leo and Issei had just completed, the serene atmosphere felt like a cruel joke.
"Man... Mil-tan is... something else," Issei groaned, rubbing the back of his neck as they walked down the dimly lit street. His steps were heavy, still recovering from the bizarre task. "I can't believe we just had to help him practice magical girl poses... and in those outfits!"
Leo chuckled, his shoulders shaking with the memory of the scene. He had felt out of place, and the whole ordeal still seemed surreal. "Hey, at least you look good in the skirt."
"Don't even joke about that, man!" Issei threw his hands up, his face a bright shade of red. "I just hope no one from school finds out. I'd never live it down."
Leo laughed at his friends embarrassed state, it was always fun to see Issei's funny reactions.
As they passed a narrow alleyway, a strange feeling began to settle in Leo's chest. He stopped, his eyes narrowing. There was a ominous feeling, like the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He glanced towards Issei, who had also stopped, his brow furrowed.
"You feel that?" Leo asked.
"Yeah..." Issei nodded, stepping forward cautiously. The two of them moved towards the source and find a slightly ajar door to a house. The two share a look before Leo slowly pushes the door to fully open it, the entryway is pitch black; but they can see a little into the house since they have devil night vision.
Leo's heartbeat quickened as the feeling intensified, that familiar feeling stirring deep in his blood.
"Stay sharp," Leo muttered.
They crept into the house, the sound of a low, twisted voice becoming clear. Leo caught glimpses of something moving in a light room.
"Nice of them to set the mood.." Issei says trying to break the tension, Leo walks into the room and steps in something that makes a squelching sound. The crackling of the fireplace breaks the ominous silence that fills the room.
Leo stops and brings his fingers down to touch his shoe, his fingers touch a liquid that drips down his hands and onto the floor. Bringing it closer to his face the familiar smell of iron fills his nose.
"You good bro?" Issei asks looking at his friend before his gaze travels over to a nearby corner, he crawls back scared to his core. Leo quickly turns and looks at him to see him shaking, unable to utter a sound. The young man turns to see a pile of gore; a unidentifiable body lays in the dark corner with all of it's insides strewn on the ground, a horrified expression on it's split in half head revealing the brain, a small bite looks like it was taken out of it.
"You've gotta be fuckin kidding me.." Leo says shocked at what his eyes are seeing. Issei begins to gag and dry heave, he brings a hand to his mouth to prevent vomit from spilling.
"Punish the wicked. Words to live by." A voice says from somewhere in the room, the young men turn to see a man sitting on the couch staring into the fire. He turns to look at them with an unnatural grin, baring too many teeth. It stretched wider than it should, eyes gleaming with a manic light as if sanity itself had slipped away. The smile wavered between amusement and menace, sending chills down anyone who dared to look at it.
"Yes, wise advice to heed from a holy man." The man says as he stands up from the couch, Issei recoils in fear while Leo's face hardens as he takes in this man's appearance. The stranger laughs evilly.
"And you must be the scared little pussies who's devil asses, this holy priest is gonna exorcise!" He says while dancing around in glee.
"A priest?!" Issei says stepping back into the hallway as he hits the wall, Leo glares at the man and steps Infront of Issei.
"Our luck seriously can't get any worse."
The priest laughs at their reactions.
"Yep! I work for a certain devil purge organization, you may have heard of us." He says in a sinister tone.
"You're the one who did this?!" He shouts in anger and points to the pour soul that laid dead in the corner.
"He was summoning a devil, I take it from your organization. That was proof enough that he was done being human, end of the line sinner!" He shouts looking over at the dead body, he turns his gaze back towards Leo and Issei with a wicked grin.
"So; I had to chop him up into little bitty pieces! Putting down degenerate devils and lost souls that would cry out to them is my job! And no one is better at it then me!" He declares as he pulls out a gun and bright shining sword. Issei and Leo start to tremble at the sight of the sword, their instincts are telling them to run far away from it.
"That's a sword of light." Issei says fearfully.
"No shit! I thought it was a sword of darkness!" Leo yells sarcastically as he puts his guard up.
I'm gonna cut out your evil hearts with my Heavenly blade of light, than with my righteous gun. I'm gonna blow a hole in your wicked demon faces. HOW DOES THAT SOUND DEVIL'S?!" He shouts as he lunges towards Leo, quickly thinking the young man rolls out of the way and tries to counter with a kick. But the stranger leaps over his attack with a manic grin.
"Issei, go inform the others!" Leo shouts as the stranger rushes towards him again, the young man picks up a small coffee table and hurls it to slow the priest down.
"But I can't just-" Leo cuts him off by screaming as his eyes begin to glow a deep blue. "WE NEED THE OTHERS! GO I'LL BE FINE!"
Issei snaps out of his fear and feels his adrenaline coursing through his body, in incredible speed he takes off out of the house and towards Kuoh Academy. Leo and the priest are now alone, the young man quickly rolls again under a slash from the sword that's aimed for his neck. He throws his leg out and kicks the stranger in the side of the head sending him recoiling back towards the couch.
"You're really starting to piss me off!" Leo shouts through gritted teeth. The priest once again lunges at him. Leo weaves out of the way and throws a punch, but the priest nimbly dodges around it.
"Kablam!"
A loud noise reverberates around the room as Leo feels a burning pain in his thigh, he falls to the floor and sucks in air through his gritted teeth. The priest cackles with joy seeing blood pour from Leo's leg.
"You bastard.."
The priest whistles in amazement and taunts Leo.
"Oooo, is the little devil angry? Maybe it's time for Freed Selzen to send you back to the abyss from once you came!"
Leo took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders as he slowly stood up. His legs shake from the fresh wound but he blocks out the pain and plants his feet firmly on the ground. With a subtle adjustment, he straightened his spine, his stance more solid, composed. He quickly sprang forwards and unleashed a combination of punches.
The priest's eyes widen slightly as he weaves around each fist that nearly hits him, the smile never leaves his face as he spins around Leo.
"Too slow." He taunts before cutting Leo on the back with his sword, his back smokes from the contact with the blade of light burning his flesh. A groan of pain escapes him as he falls to a knee and looks up to see a disappointed glint in Freed's eyes.
"Get a guy all worked up and leave him half cocked? That's no way for a lady to treat a gentleman such as myself." He says as he walks around Leo, he stops just to his side and raises his sword into the air ready to decapitate him but a sudden loud shriek of horror stops him.
"AHHHHHH!"
Leo glances over his shoulder and sees a person he was told he could never meet again.
"What the hell? Asia?! What are you doing here? Are you done creating the barrier already?" He asks the nun, she has a shaky hand over her mouth as a horrified expression covers her face.
"D-Don't do this.." She stutters quietly, her body trembles in fear from seeing a poor soul mutilated in the corner. Freed sighs and shakes his head disappointed.
"Right, a newbie. Well then, I guess it's time you learned. This is what the job is my dear. We dispose of unfortunate people who have been bewitched by the evil devils." Freed says as he leans closer to her with a sinister look on his face. Feeling uncomfortable she looks away only to see a familiar face, her eyes widen in shock as tears well up in her eyes.
"Leo? No... It can't be.." Leo looks away ashamed.
"Asia... I..." He trails off unable to find the words to say, the guilt eating him up at lying to her. Freed looks between the two confused.
"What's going on? You two know each other?" He asks looking at Asia, the nun looks at Leo with a sad glint in her eyes.
"Leo... why are you here?" She asks distraught; Leo's gaze shifts to the ground as guilt fills him.
"I'm a devil. The reason as to why I'm here... I wanted to make sure the person living here was okay. Please... forgive me, I didn't want to break our promise.. but i had no choice.."
"Oh... Heavens..." She says covering her mouth with tears falling down her cheeks. Freed chuckles at this.
"Not that this isn't heartwarming. But you and your friend here, have no business being together. The fallen angels have expressly forbidden all contact between our kind and theirs's. Have you forgotten already?" He asks leaning towards Asia with a sinister twinkle in his eyes.
"Now then. Shall we go ahead and do what we came here to do? Not that it matters much, but I hope you've said your prayers!" He shouts as he raises his sword once again. Before he could bring it down, Asia quickly stands in-between them with her arms out and a serious expression on her face. Freed glares at the girl as his grip tightens around his sword.
"You've gotta be kidding me with this..." He says losing his patience.
"Please don't! I beg your mercy. Please forgive this man of his sins father... couldn't we just let him go?" She begs for him to spare Leo's life; Freed starts to lose his temper at this sentiment.
"That THING isn't a man. It's a devil, you made your pledge to defeat our enemies." He shouts glaring at her, she shakes her head and stands her ground.
"It doesn't matter to me what he is! There's goodness in him. You can't just kill him! How can you actually believe the Father would approve?!" She shouts back.
Freed growls under his breath and steps towards her finally losing his patience with the newest member of the fallen angels.
"Enough of this bullshit!" He shouts as he swipes his sword upwards towards her, cutting her outfit. In a flash her undergarments and breasts are exposed for all to see. Leo's anger grows as he sees Freed touch her.
"You fucker. I'll rip out your throat!" He shouts as he slowly gets up pushing through the pain. Freed pays him no mind and grabs Asia by the face.
"Have you lost your fucking mind?! What? Are there maggots growing in that stupid head of yours?!" He screams at her, she reels back in fear with tears streaming down her face.
"Don't hurt me!" She pleads, he throws her into the wall and uses his sword to keep her hands above her head letting her breasts hang in the open.
"Our fallen angel friends say I'm not supposed to hurt you. But I don't give a damn about that now! You know what happens to naughty girls don't you?" He says before licking up the side of her face. He uses his free hand to grab a firm hold of one of her breasts with a wicked smile on his face. Her face heats up with more tears pouring down it.
Leo growls seeing Freed trying to have his way with Asia, he takes a shaky step towards them as blood leaks out of his leg and down his back.
"I'm gonna enjoy ripping your head off.." Leo says through gritted teeth as he takes another shaky step. Freed presses the barrel of his gun in-between Asia's legs, caressing her nether region.
"Why shouldn't an upstanding priest do what he want's with a filthy tramp like you!" He shouts as he slowly rubs the barrel of the gun against her paintes and licks her neck. The young woman whimpers in fear and turns her face away.
"Get your fucking hands off her!" Leo shouts.
Freed turns his attention to Leo with a nasty glare.
"Look boy. If you want to watch this go down, your gonna have to pay for it. Nothings free." Freed says before moving his face towards Asia's chest and licks it while keeping eye contact with Leo. Asia moans in discomfort. Leo's eyes start to glow a mix of green and deep blue as his anger increases.
"I'm gut you and rip out your spine." Leo growls out, Freed whistles in amazement and takes his sword out of the wall. Asia falls to the floor and covering herself.
"Think you can take me down, boy? Then come over here and show me what you've got!" He taunts. Asia looks up worried for Leo.
"No! You don't have to do this!" She yells fearfully for Leo's wellbeing. It falls on deaf ears as Leo charges towards Freed.
The first couple of steps were slow and shaky before he began picking up speed. Freed his gun a couple times at him, the bullets just graze his cheek and side. The priests eyes widen seeing the angry devil Infront of him.
"Yep... I'm fucked..." He says just before a fist slams into the side of his face.
Leo roars in rage as he puts all his strength into the punch, Freed is launched into the air and across the room. He slams into the wall completely destroying it. Leo's legs give out from under him bringing him to a knee, Freed groans in pain before climbing out of the remains of the wall. His eyes flash with anger as he glares at Leo.
"I'm gonna set the record for making the finest human mincemeat ever!" He shouts lunging towards Leo. Asia shrieks in fear as the sword is about to connect with Leo's midsection. Luck is on his side, as a red magic circle appears between them deflecting Freed's slash. Kiba can be seen holding the crazy priest back, their blades locked in place.
"Hey Leo. Sorry we're late... Issei was in a panic trying to explain what was happening." Kiba says sending a friendly smile over to him. Akeno peeks her head through the magic circle with a curious expression.
"Oh, this is gross." She says walking through.
"An exorcist..." Koneko says in a monotone voice as she walks in after Akeno. Leo falls back and sits with his back against a wall with a small smile. The glow in his eyes now gone as he breath's a sigh of relief.
"Almost didn't make it, glad you guys showed up."
Freed jumps back with a wicked smile as he looks at each member of the ORC.
"Hell yeah! Now we got ourselves a good ol' fashioned gangbang!" He shouts excitedly.
"Your done here. Sorry to disappoint you but he's with us."
Freed smile get's sickly wide as he bares all his teeth, his eyes travel between Kiba and Leo.
"I like that! So what? You're a top and he's the bottom?!"
"How vulgar. I can't believe you're a priest."
Freed's expression changes to anger at that, he glares daggers at Kiba and points his holy sword at him.
"Don't pretend like you're refined, damned devil. It's my purpose in life to hunt down maggots like you! Just shut up and let me kill you!"
"My, my, even us devils don't jump on just anyone." Akeno says with a dangerous smile, Freed's face flushes red at seeing her expression. He hugs himself as he squirms around in arousal.
"And you my dear, are a hot piece of ass! Oh! Those eyes are killing me! There's nothing I lust after more than a sexy devil bitch!"
"You should disappear."
A black and red bolt of magic comes from the magic circle, Freed quickly dodges and leaps over the couch for cover. Rias and Issei step through, the red glow dies down letting the fireplace light up the room once again.
"Hey, Rias..." Leo says weakly as the blessed bullets and holy sword slash are starting to affect him. His eyes start to feel heavy but he's using all his strength too keep them open. Rias turns around with a concerned look and kneels Infront of him.
"Leo. Look at how hurt you are... there was a barrier in place until just a moment ago." She says as her hand gently caresses the side of his face. Leo weakly smiles at her and lightly pokes her forehead.
"You... worry to much..." He trails off as the world around him fades and he's consumed by darkness.
Leo stirred awake, groggy and disoriented. His last memory was of everyone coming to his rescue after him and Issei had encountered that priest. He blinked, rubbing his eyes, only to find himself surrounded by an endless expanse of snow.
The sky was dull gray, heavy with clouds, and the wind howled in the distance. Cold air bit at his skin, but the strange thing was—he didn't feel cold. It was as if the snow itself was part of him, a familiar presence rather than a threat.
"Where... am I?" Leo muttered to himself, rising unsteadily to his feet.
The landscape was eerily quiet. No sound of civilization, no signs of life—just an eternal winter stretching as far as his eyes could see.
And then, in the distance, a figure appeared.
He squinted, trying to make out the details as the figure approached. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, and walked with the confidence of a warrior who had seen countless battles. His fur cloak flapped in the icy wind, and in his hand, he held a battle-worn axe. As he came closer, Leo could see the deep, weathered lines on his face, the sharp eyes that gleamed with both wisdom and a hidden ferocity.
The man's long braided hair, touched with silver, swayed as he stopped a few paces from Leo. His presence alone radiated authority, like a king inspecting his heir.
"I remember you... last time we met, I was chained up." Leo whispered, recognizing him from the last time they had met. It was slowly eating away at him deep in his mind but he didn't think to much into it.
"Good to see your memory works," He said, his voice deep and booming, carrying weight of countless victories and defeats. "So, my descendant finally comes face to face with his blood."
Leo took a step back, his breath hitching. "Am I dead?"
A small chuckle escaped the warrior, shaking his head. "No, not dead. Not yet, at least. You've been pulled into a place between worlds. A place where our blood runs the strongest—the ancestral realm."
Leo swallowed hard, trying to process everything. "What? Why am I here? What does this mean? What is your name?"
His eyes softened as he stepped closer, resting the handle of his axe in the snow beside him. A melancholy look glazes over his eyes as a sad smile graces his face.
"I've been called many things over my life, the last I heard my name was from my wife. Long ago, I went by the name... Ragnar Lothbrok."