Dimensional Descent

Leonel took deep breaths, but he didn't seem to be very tired. It was as though the billowing steam coming off of him painted the illusion that he was heaving much harder than he actually was.

Fear and apprehension colored the faces of those in the surroundings, they were suddenly almost too obviously aware that there was no one here capable of withstanding those flames. The prowess of Scarlet Star Force was obvious for all to see, blatantly within their faces. Even the likes of Conon, who had been certain that it would all be meaningless the moment he stepped onto the God Path, couldn't help but hold his breath slightly.

In one moment, there had been a raging battle going on, and yet in the next, it had all been ended by a singular young man who entered a fit of rage. It was difficult even to fuse the images of the smiling young man from before with the one before them now.

Despite the arrogant words he had spoken previously, the joking tone within them and the smile on his face made it difficult to hate Leonel. However, right now, with his face hidden behind a visor and his body wreathed in flames and shards of sparkling ice… it felt difficult to humanize him.

He was a monster, an insurmountable mountain. He was exactly as powerful as he needed to be in a given situation, and if you thought him to be weak well… Maybe you should look in the mirror and see if you were worthy of him putting in any effort.

At that moment, the ceiling cracked and splintered, a shimmering Amethyst Token falling from above. Leonel only reached out a palm and it seemed to fall into it as though he had commanded it to do so.

He turned back and grabbed his spear, ripping it out from the ground and ignoring the spurt of molten rock that threatened to cover him from head to toe. His body seemed to still be fuming, almost like it was enraged that there weren't any other enemies left to battle.

Just thinking this was absolutely ridiculous, especially since there were still a large contingent of Rapax still remaining.

As though to confirm exactly this, when Leonel turned back, he found an enormous Runed Rapax looming over him. Its silvery armor was etched in Gold Runes and even with its poor, curved posture, it towered over Leonel by at least two meters.

Leonel looked up, his body uncaring and unmoved as he stared into what he thought would have to be the Rapax's eyes.

The low, almost growl-like breathing of the Rapax echoed through the cavern, the surging tides of water only barely managing to remain relevant in low hums beneath its baritone.

The chest of the Gold Runed Rapax rumbled, its plated carapace expanding and contracting along with its breath.

Its mouth opened up to reveal two rows of long, transparent teeth, each with its own floating Golden Runes within. These Runes happened to match the exact kind that could be found on the claws of its feet, the precise sign of a Seventh Dimensional Rapax.

Its long tongue dripped with saliva, sliding out of its mouth. Leonel could see the individual imperfections and roughness along it, almost making the blackish-red tongue look a lot more like a piece of sand paper than flesh.

Hints of saliva dripped downward and toward Leonel. But, before they could even reach within a meter of him, it was all incinerated to ash.

If Leonel cared to ask Wise Star Order about this right this moment, he would understand that this was a Rapax's method of showing excitement and eagerness. There was a reason that this was the very first time Leonel was seeing any one of their mouths.

The Rapax were warriors, bred for this purpose since their youth. From the moment they were sentient of anything, they had already begun to fight for their lives, and even after reaching adulthood, they continued to do so. Whether male, female, young or old. A Rapax would die on the battlefield and they lived for that sort of thrill.

Leonel was too enraged to see it at first, thinking this to just be another challenge, another head he had to slice off. However, the longer it went on, the more Leonel's gaze seemed to waver.

He could feel it. The thoughts of this Rapax. No… It's last thoughts.

Leonel hadn't considered something very important. These Rapax were so weak now despite having been Seventh Dimensional in their primes because they had poured all of their Life Force into this egg… But what now? Would they just recover given enough time?

Leonel now understood he had been too naïve. When Wise Star Order said that the Rapax went even further when such a talent was born, even using living Rapax, he never said they would get to live. These Rapax Leonel was seeing now were already on their last legs, just a few hours away from breathing their last.

He could feel the wall of emotions coming from this Rapax now.

Excitement, eagerness… Regret. Regret that it didn't get to watch Leonel grow. Regret that it couldn't wait to fight Leonel when he had reached his full potential. Regret that this would be the last chance he would get to face such a warrior.

Leonel's expression flickered, his cold gaze softening and his heart skipping a beat. He looked past the Rapax, his eyes landing on the egg.

The emotions were different but… But they still felt so real… not quite human, but who said that only the human experience mattered?

He had been so caught up in the Rapax being the 'others'… He had even taken Wise Star Order's word at face value, believing this egg to be not much different from a Beast Crystal you could absorb. But…

'That's not an egg… That's a baby… A baby that's carrying the hopes and aspirations of its parents and seniors on its shoulders…'

Leonel's shoulders relaxed, his gaze locking onto the Rapax again.

"You want to fight?"

"SKREEEE!"

"Let's fight, then. I'll give you the send off you want—!"

BOOM!

The ceiling above suddenly came crashing down. Before Leonel could react, a figure fell from the skies, landing on the Gold Runed Rapax before him and squashing it to meat paste.

Leonel stood, frozen.