Vergil Is Back-Chapter 32 - 26: The Weight of Power

The Forest – Kyoto

The trees stood still, their dark silhouettes casting long shadows under the moonlit sky. The silence of the forest was broken only by the occasional crack of a twig underfoot as Leon walked, his footsteps eerily quiet.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him—something far older and more powerful than any enemy he'd ever faced. The energy from the Heart of the Leyline still thrummed within him, weaving through his veins like fire.

He had to admit it: he was changed. And not just in his body, but in his very soul. His Devil Trigger form, more refined than before, felt like a part of him—no longer a transformation, but a new aspect of his being. His wings of void energy fluttered slightly, casting shadows over the ground as his footsteps were carried by an unsettling weight.

Leon's hands clenched. "What am I doing?" he whispered, staring at his glowing palms. His fingertips sparked faintly with energy, a reminder of the power now at his disposal.

The voice whispered again, this time clearer than ever. It wasn't the system, nor a mere echo of his past. It was something older, something that resonated with the very core of the leyline's magic.

"The path ahead is yours to shape... but the cost is steep. There is no return once you have crossed this line."

He inhaled sharply, his mind swirling with the implications. "I never asked for this. I just wanted control over my own fate."

But was it ever truly that simple?

Leon stopped walking, his head tilting back as he stared up at the sky. His wings rippled, their ethereal form flickering in and out, as if they were tethered to something beyond this world.

"You are beyond the mortal plane now. The boundaries are thin... do not be surprised if you fall through them."

His breathing quickened. He didn't want to hear this. He wanted control. He wanted to choose his path. But the more he tried to focus, the more the whispers pulled at his consciousness, like hands that reached into the deepest parts of his mind.

And then, a presence. A familiar one.

He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing. Through the trees, he saw a figure.

Rias.

She was standing there, her eyes wide, a mix of concern and resolve in her gaze. Behind her, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko stood silently, their expressions matching her own. They had followed his trail. They had come looking for him.

Leon's heart twisted. He knew they would, but part of him didn't want them to. Not now. Not when he was struggling to understand what he was becoming.

"Leon!" Rias called, her voice filled with both relief and hesitation. "We've been looking for you."

He stood motionless, his body tense. He didn't want to face them. He wasn't ready to explain the changes that had overtaken him. The power—no, the force—that was now part of him was something they couldn't understand.

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"You shouldn't have come," he finally said, his voice cold and detached.

Rias's eyes softened. "Leon, please... We're worried about you. Whatever this power is, we're here to help you. You don't have to carry this alone."

Her words seemed to cut through the fog in his mind, but it wasn't enough to clear it completely. His chest tightened as the weight of her words hit him. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that they could help him, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized the truth.

He was changing. In ways no one could predict.

"Do you understand?" Leon whispered, stepping back. "Do you understand that I can't stop this? That no matter what I do, this power is mine now? I've crossed a line. And there's no going back."

Rias took a step forward, her gaze steady. "It's not too late, Leon. You still have control. You can choose what kind of person you want to be. This power doesn't have to define you."

Akeno stepped beside her, her voice low but reassuring. "We're here for you, Leon. We always will be."

Leon's eyes flickered between the faces of his friends—the people who had once been his anchors. But now, they seemed so distant. Not because of them, but because of what he had become.

"I don't know if I can be the person you want me to be anymore," he muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "I don't know who I am anymore."

His wings flared out behind him, the darkness of void energy pulsing like a living creature. He clenched his fists as his heart raced. What was happening to him?

The whispers in his mind grew louder, but Leon gritted his teeth, forcing them back. He couldn't let it consume him.

"I'm not the same person you knew, Rias," he said, his voice now tinged with bitterness. "I'm something else. Something more."

A long silence fell between them. Rias took another step forward, this time closer to him. She extended a hand toward him.

"I don't care what you've become, Leon. I care about who you are. The you I know is still inside there." Her voice was gentle but unwavering. "And we're not going anywhere. We'll help you find your way back. Together."

Leon's heart twisted again, the weight of his own isolation pushing him to the edge. His gaze flickered to Rias's outstretched hand, then to the rest of his peerage.

For the first time since his transformation, something deep within him stirred—something that felt like hope. But it was fragile. And he wasn't sure it was enough to hold back the overwhelming tide of change.