Dimensional Descent

Little Blackstar was caught between relief and panic. Even though the constant barrage had finally come to a stop, the little guy was emotionally intelligent enough to know that things wouldn't just end with that. Maybe the two had only stopped at this point because past this was most definitely a state of no return. Their stamina already seemed to have taken a large hit, if they went any further, they really wouldn't be able to deal with any danger that came.

"I should have done this years ago." Aina spoke coldly. "You must think I'm really afraid of you. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, and clearly it's because I've been too easy on you."

Leonel's lip twitched. This woman seemed to have entered a demonic mode.

"I promise you this. Every time you do this to me, I will beat you until you're completely unrecognizable. Last time I just ran away and apparently that made you think me to be soft. It won't happen again."

Leonel suddenly got the impulse to touch his face, only to realize that his raised arm looked as though he had stuff several balloons beneath his skin. His expression flickered and by the time he actually touched his face, he realized that it was completely swollen as well.

It was then that Aina's words about beating him until he was unrecognizable seemed to ring in his ears again. She wasn't just saying that, she had been serious. Her control of her strength was so great that her every punch, kick, knee and elbow managed to generate the greatest damage to his flesh, resulting in these exaggerated bruises all across his body.

Leonel had been so certain that his aches and pains were from his battle with the Runed Rapax that he didn't even notice that he was being turned into a charity case.

'…'

Leonel was speechless.

'Every time you do this to me, I will beat you until you're completely unrecognizable.'

He could see by the fire lit in her eyes that she really meant it. It didn't matter if they were in the middle of a Rapax Nest, if they were deep within enemy territory, maybe even if they were in the middle of fighting a war, she would truly drop everything to beat him up. What kind of nonsense was this?

The worst part was that even though it felt like a joke, Leonel could feel how livid Aina was. The fact she had only gone so far was actually an outward showing of restraint for her. If she really unleashed everything, it wouldn't be her fists cutting into his body, but rather a bloody ax.

Aina was right. Last time he did this to her, she had just left everything and disappeared. This time, however, it seemed she had taken a different approach. But, this sort of approach wasn't something that Leonel cared for at all, especially not when he had just cracked his ribcage open to ensure they could both get to safety.

Rather than being thankful for that or showing any appreciation, he was actually greeted with more pain.

Fine. He had already been prepared for the backlash his actions would come with. But, wasn't this too far? If she wasn't…

Leonel's brow furrowed when his thoughts reached this point. He never usually cared if an enemy was female or not. Had anyone else done this to him, he would have definitely did far more in revenge. He didn't like this weight hanging around his every action when it came to this woman. It was like he couldn't be his true self.

Leonel lowered his fist, his expression only becoming colder. And yet, Aina stood right across from him, her expression not softening in the slightest at all. Her demeanor seemed to scream that no matter what Leonel said, she would meet him from lower ground, even if that lower ground required a fist.

"If you can't understand why I do things the way I do, what's the point? My mom said something very important to me a few months ago. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. Trying to change a person will never work. You're doing nothing but wasting your time. Every time this situation happens, I will take the same course of action. No amount of tantrums you throw will change that.

"And, if there ever comes a day where this tantrum of yours really compromises our ability to survive, while you've made a promise yourself, I can promise that in such a situation, I'll disregard any mental blocks I have toward harming you entirely.

"Trust me. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's getting rid of mental blocks. I hope you'll show some propriety and not allow things to get that far."

Aina stared at Leonel deeply, her own oppressive aura still rising. Even the earth seemed to rumble beneath her.

"I can promise you if that day really does come, I won't hold back either. If you think you're the only one holding back, you have another thing coming. My ax won't show mercy."

Leonel's brows furrowed, his frown deepening. After a moment, though, his expression completely relaxed, a detached sort of appearance being all that was left.

"If that's how things are, then it's better for us to go our separate ways. I can't have a liability who can't understand how I see things by my side. You'll be nothing more than a ticking timebomb."

Aina sneered. "Understand how you view things? What about how I view things?"

"The only thing that matters is my final decision. If you can't trust me to make it, then you might as well go call someone else King!"

Leonel's voice boomed, a wild violet aura raging around him. The oppression of his mind's coercion seemed to stream forward like a raging tide, a tsunami that only seemed to grow taller with every passing moment.

However, Aina's rage somehow still seemed more palpable. Her hair fluttered wildly, her canines seeming to grow a measure as her irises sparkled like drops of ambrosia.

"A King also knows when to listen! You keep talking about trust this and trust that, but all you really want are blind followers that will both do everything you ask them to do on a whim, and yet also allow you to take control of everything at the same time!

"You keep asking me to have trust in you, but where's your trust in me! What's the point of building a Kingdom if all you want to do is fight on your own?! Do I look like a fragile flower to you?!

"You're a hypocrite! A fucking Sociopathic Hypocrite!"

Leonel froze.