Dimensional Descent

Leonel's expression flickered.

The instant the Force surrounding the arrow lodged into his shoulder dissipated, he used his Variant Earth affinity to send it flying out of his flesh. The wound itself immediately began to heal, Leonel's passive Healing Factor having reached ridiculous levels after reaching the Second Awakening of his Healing Branch.

Isac hadn't expected for Leonel to deal with his wound so effortlessly, so he was somewhat caught off guard. This wasn't because he thought his arrow would be lethal, but rather because he expected Leonel to have to be forced to find a moment to pull the arrow out. And, he thought that Leonel would also have to at least weather the injury for the duration of the battle. But, it seemed that he was wrong.

Isac's expression fell for only a split moment before his determination was lit ablaze once more.

His gaze rapidly shifted between the four arrows he had released into the sky, completing another series of calculations in the blink of an eye.

His aura blazed, his Bow Force wrapping around his body like a howling wind.

The twang of his bow string became like the chords of a symphony. Every pull and release had its own unique rhythm. He didn't care about the depletion of his state of mind, he didn't care about the tingling pain at the tips of his fingers, he didn't care about anything outside of the target right before him.

Leonel rolled to the side. Having lost the initiative, his body was forced into weaving and dodging, his gaze flickering with an excited light.

Isac was the best marksman he had ever met. His skill was immaculate. His calculative abilities were lesser than that of himself, but his talent and grasp of timing were impeccable. The moment he seized a leg up due to a folly on Leonel's part, he didn't let up, his assault only becoming more overbearing and relentless.

There was no cover for Leonel to take, no partner he could use to distract his enemy, and as though by some tacit agreement between the two, Leonel refused to use any skills classified outside his talent as a bowman.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Plumes of smoke rose up outside the arena as arrow after arrow left craters in their wake.

Steam began to rise off of Isac's skin. His fingers trickled with blood, his back burned from the strain and his shoulders cried out. But, he pulled one arrow after another, slowly forcing Leonel back into a corner where he wouldn't be able to step either left or right.

Isac slowly shifted to the side, taking his first steps of the battle. His base remained steady and his feet were heavy. Everything he did was perfect and without flaw. He forgot about everything else, his mind touching an ethereal state where even the pain and aching of his body vanished.

And then…

BANG!

A towering pillar of Force rose into the skies. Isac's aura shifted, his arrows beginning to carry with them the screeching sounds of metal grating on metal as they tore through the skies.

At that moment, Orinik and Ganor's gazes narrowed, their expressions becoming serious.

'Natural Bow Force!'

Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Isac broke through just as he forced Leonel into a corner. And yet, the man himself didn't even seem to notice. All he could think about was growing powerful enough to defeat the enemy before him, releasing an arrow with enough strength to rip through any defense before him.

SHUUU! SHUU! SHUUU! SHUUU!

The arrows whistled through the skies, their momentum leaving streaks across space and threatening to tear lines into the fabric of reality. However, while they were far from accomplishing such a feat, they were more than enough to shred apart Leonel's defenses.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

A cloud of dust billowed into the skies, covering the scene of everything in the corner of the arena. The crowd watched on in awe. A battle that had started with such a fascinating beginning had turned completely one sided and lost much of their attention. But, the instant of Isac's breakthrough, it was as though all eyes have been glued to him.

Natural Bow Force! Wasn't the conclusion obvious?

However, right then, before the smoke could completely clear, a laughter sounded from within it, causing the plumes of debris to forcefully disperse.

Leonel figure was revealed. Much of his clothing had been drenched in blood but the skin beneath was completely unscathed. What was obvious was the fact the final volley of arrows carrying Natural Bow Force hadn't touched a single hair on his head.

"I understand now, it makes so much sense. So you can use Bow Force like that…"

Leonel was absolutely fascinated. When he thought of the potential applications and what he could do when he gained the skill to do so, he was ecstatic. Maybe he didn't even realize how much he loved the bow until now. Maybe he loved it even more than he did Crafting. It was almost a shame that he was given the Spear Domain Heirloom instead of the Bow Domain Heirloom.

"Let's finish this."

Leonel, who was now confident in his ability to dodge Isac's arrows stood to his full height, tall and proud. He didn't seem prepared to run as he drew his bow, even knowing that Isac held the initiative in his hands. He exuded all the unbridled confidence in the world.

However, just as Leonel was about to nock another arrow to begin his counter, he blinked, slowly lowering his hands.

Isac still stood tall, blood trickling from his fingers, but he was completely unmoving. He swayed slightly in the wind before he fell backward, crashing outside of the arena.

He had given everything he had in that last strike. By the time the last arrow was released, he had already lost consciousness. He was in no state to battle.

It seemed that Leonel had won.