My Love Debts Are Everywhere!-Chapter 613: The Spirit of the World Tree, Astra - Part 2

"Hiss!"

Leon recoiled in horror at the sight before him.

At first, he thought Astra was simply asleep or meditating to suppress the Evil God's dark power.

But the truth was the opposite—she had been overwhelmed by the dark power, her appearance now twisted and grotesque.

"Miranda, what's going on?" Leon called out urgently.

"As you can see, she's been consumed by dark power," Miranda's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with helplessness.

Leon's brows knitted together. "Didn't you say she was sleeping to keep that power at bay? Why is she being overpowered now?"

Miranda fell silent for a moment, then answered, "At first, I believed Astra could resist its influence longer. But I was wrong—she couldn't withstand it at all."

"Well, I suppose it's not entirely unexpected. You know that the Evil God's dark power has been seeping into the World Tree for the past seven thousand years. So naturally, Astra has been exposed to it that whole time. It's no wonder she eventually lost control." frёewebηovel.cѳm

The explanation made sense—and left Leon speechless. Seven thousand years was an unimaginably long time.

Even the dragon ancestor, who was also affected by the dark power—although not as strongly as Astra—had suffered greatly and was nearly completely overpowered.

If not for his unyielding will and his decision to enter a long slumber, waiting for the right moment, he too would have become a puppet of the Evil God.

Leon took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart, then asked, "So... do you have a solution? I can't just stand by while she suffers under the dark power's control. I want to save her—right now."

Astra was the wife of Demon Emperor Amon Crimson and the ancestress of Liliana. There was no way Leon could just stand by and watch her suffer.

Besides, Amon Crimson had done so much for him—even sacrificing himself to carry out the grand deception against the Evil God.

Because of that, Leon felt compelled to help. He wanted to save the emperor's wife, even if the man himself was long gone from this world.

"You don't need to worry, Master," Miranda said gently. "If my guess is correct, the dark power hasn't completely consumed her. Astra's consciousness is still intact—just dormant."

"The quickest way to save her is to purge the dark power and awaken her mind."

Upon hearing this, Leon's expression turned resolute. "I understand. Leave it to me."

Purging the dark power wasn't difficult for him. With both holy power and chaos power at his command, its corruption posed little threat.

But then Miranda's voice returned, this time more stern.

"Don't be overconfident, Master. Do you see that pitch-black lake in front of you?"

Leon looked down and slowly nodded. "I see it."

"That is the source of the dark power controlling Astra's dimension of consciousness. Even if you awaken her, it will be meaningless as long as she's still bound to the black roots connected to that lake," Miranda explained gently. "The only way is to free her from those roots and bring her back to solid ground."

"Or... if you're brave enough, there's a more difficult path—purifying the lake itself. But of course, that option is far more dangerous."

What Miranda didn't realize was that Leon was already leaning toward the second option.

For him, danger was never a deterrent—challenges were what made life worth facing.

"Alright. I understand," Leon said firmly. "Leave it to me. I'll bring Astra back to consciousness."

*Buzz!*

His golden eyes flared with brilliant white light.

At the same time, a golden, star-shaped Hero's Destiny symbol began to shine at the center of his forehead.

Throughout his battles, Leon had rarely needed to invoke the Hero's Destiny.

It wasn't because he was reluctant—but simply because he hadn't needed to. Most of his enemies were either far weaker than him or, at best, evenly matched.

In those cases, activating the Hero's Destiny had always felt unnecessary.

But this time… he wasn't taking any risks.

He refused to underestimate Astra—not while she was under the dark power's control.

He knew just how powerful she was. And he would need everything he had.

"Holy Sword of Zenith... hear my call!" He shouted, swinging his hand to the side.

*Buzz!*

A flash of golden-white light burst forth, and moments later, the majestic Holy Sword of Zenith materialized in Leon's grasp.

The awakening of his hero's destiny and the appearance of the sword caused the space around them to tremble violently, as if it might collapse at any second.

Astra, floating at the center of the lake, blinked in surprise. But her shock quickly gave way to fury.

She raised both hands, and suddenly—

*Whoosh!*

Three water dragons erupted from the lake's surface, their eyes blazing with hatred as they fixed their gaze on Leon.

Unlike normal dragons, their serpentine bodies blended seamlessly with the water, as if they were part of the lake itself.

Yet each was enormous—towering nearly twenty meters. Their sharp teeth glistened menacingly, and poisonous breath hissed from their jaws.

"Attack!" Astra commanded coldly, stretching her hand forward.

*Whoosh!*

The dragons surged forward, mouths wide open, ready to strike.

But Leon showed no fear.

A cold smile curved his lips as holy power radiated from his body.

"Come forth!"

He soared into the air, facing the three water dragons head-on. Holding the Holy Sword of Zenith high above him, he called out, "Hero Technique: Heaven's Judgment!"

***

Outside the altar, Zelda watched Leon, whose body still radiated an aura of holy power and chaos.

Her anxious expression slowly softened into relief.

"It seems Leon has managed to connect with the Spirit of the World Tree," she murmured, placing her right hand over her chest.

From the start, she had known she couldn't communicate directly with the World Tree Spirit—she had only clung to the faint hope that it might be possible.

But reality was harsher than hope. She had failed to establish any connection.

Fortunately, Leon was by her side. Judging by his current state, he had clearly succeeded in reaching the Spirit of the World Tree.

Still, Zelda couldn't be sure if the spirit was alright. After all, it had been corrupted by dark forces for seven thousand years.

At that moment, the communication device in her pocket glowed with a bright green light.

Startled, Zelda quickly retrieved it and pressed the magic circle on its side.

Before she could speak, a young woman's voice came through.

"Your Majesty, the enemies have attacked!"