From Ruin to Reign Leander's Unbreakable Will novel Chapter 366

On the horizon, fire burst and bloomed over the sea. The people gathered at the Southern Ocean shore stared in confusion. None of them understood what had just happened.

Leander walked across the waves as if they were solid ground. The longbow of fire in his hands flickered once, then vanished. With a single step forward, his body appeared on the beach. Daphne was already there, waiting for him.

"Ander!"

She rushed to him and clung to his arm. Her eyes fell on the two long tears across his chest. Her fingers, trembling, brushed over the fabric.

The battle she had seen had left her breathless. Leander had stood against the world alone. He had crushed every Transcendent who rose before him. His strength and dominance were carved into her soul. She could not push the image away.

Even with her proud heart, her emotions surged beyond control. She lifted herself on her toes and pressed a fierce kiss to his lips.

Leander's grin broke wide. He ran his hand gently across her hair.

"I have kept the promise I made long ago."

Daphne nodded again and again. He had once sworn to become the king of his generation. Yet now, he had gone far beyond that. Even the ancient masters had fallen before him. Even the Arbitration Office. Even the War God Sanctum itself had been swept aside.

This man was a true pillar of the world.

For a moment, they stood close, but from behind them, the old master of the Ouyang family strode forward. He bent low with his hands clasped.

"Thank you, Sovereign, for protecting my family. This grace is eternal."

As Corwin's voice fell, Anton and Raphael stepped up as well. They bowed with deep respect.

"Thank you, Sovereign!"

Their clansmen followed, one by one, voicing their thanks. But the Ashcroft family stood silent. The weight of their stillness was heavy.

Reginald and Gareth had not yet recovered from the truth they had seen.

When Leander had first returned with Lydia, they had felt relief. He was alive. Reginald had even lowered his pride to speak an apology.

But it had only been guilt. They had never believed a man stripped of martial power could bring them honor.

They had only wanted him to return to the family name. Nothing more.

Now their world had been shattered. The Iron Sovereign Jeff, the one who had shaken all four families, was Leander. Their imaginations had been broken beyond repair.

Leander raised a hand. His voice rang clear and cold. "You don't need to thank me. I never fought for the sake of your families. These outsiders had the gall to trample Astria as if it had no defenders. I cut them down because I refused to watch."

To him, the lives of most of them held no weight. Only Ethan and Daphne mattered.

His gaze slid and locked onto Gareth.

"Gareth. Once you called me the curse of the Ashcroft family. You stripped away my martial power. You cast me out. And now here I stand. Any thoughts?"

A sharp smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe I should thank you. If you hadn't destroyed me, I might never have walked this path. I might never have reached this strength."

His eyes flared bright. His words fell like thunder.

"Nine years ago, you threw me into the mountains. I swore I would rise higher than the Ashcroft family. Back then, you sneered. But now? Do you still find it amusing?"

The crowd erupted with gasps. The truth fell over them like lightning.

The Iron Sovereign, ranked first on the Astria Power Index, had once been an outcast from the Ashcroft family. And Gareth had been the one who crippled him.

Could it be true? Had Leander climbed to this height with no martial power at all?

Breath caught in every throat. Martial power was the foundation of warriors. Without it, a man was nothing.

Yet Leander had shattered that law. He wasn't just talented. He was beyond understanding.

A deep hum rolled out.

Waves recoiled and crashed backward as their power spread. The masters of the four great families stood frozen, awe filling their faces.

They had heard whispers of this artifact but had never laid eyes upon it. Today, the truth was before them.

Leander stood unshaken. His face showed no wonder as he stared at the radiant glow.

"Good. Very good."

The mirror spoke. Its voice thundered over the beach and struck every heart.

Some artifacts were said to hold spirit. A few gained will of their own after countless years. But none here had ever seen a relic speak.

"Leander, son of the Ashcroft house," the voice roared. "Nine years you endured. You were broken and burned. You rose again from the fire. You are reborn. Good. Very good."

Leander's lips curved into a sharp smile. His laugh came cold and bitter.

"So this is the Ashcroft family's pride. The famed Celestial Mirror."

His gaze cut sharp, his words heavy as steel.

"Nine years ago, you gave one decree. Because of you, I was cast out. My martial power was torn from me. I was thrown away like garbage.

"Now you stand before me, and I will ask you myself. Why did you command them to destroy me? Why did you tell them to drive me from my family?"

Flames coiled on his palm. Dragonfire hissed and twisted, eager for release.

"If your answer fails to satisfy me, I will burn you to ashes."