Dimensional Descent

Derrion had the robust and stout figure all the men of the Lio family seemed to share. His aura was brazen and his presence arrogant. However, between Conon and Gunter, he seemed to be far more like the latter in that his disposition was quite untalkative and uncaring. If it wasn't for the given situation and the fact he truly did not recognize Leonel, he wouldn't have even bothered to say so much. 

But as things stood now, Leonel wasn't in a very talkative mood. He continued to walk forward, his left in hand Aina's right, and his own right hand still raised into the air. 

With a gentle tap, the wind rippled once again, a spiral of golden Spear Force manifesting like swirling rays of light that formed a vacuum in the air before speeding forward like a bullet out of a gun. 

Derrion's eyes narrowed. 

When in the presence of a dense Anarchic Force, attacking from a distance was incredibly difficult. This was why archers were among the absolutely strongest experts the Void Palace had on hand purely due to their being better equipped than others to deal with these challenges. 

To attack from a distance using not Bow Force, but Spear Force, was an absolutely rare concept. 

Although the distance that separated the two of them was no more than eight to ten meters, it was still enough of a gap to be insurmountable to most. Under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Void Palace's disciples would have to close this distance in hopes of entering a bout of close combat. So just from Leonel's actions alone, Derrion had already concluded that he wasn't normal. 

It also had to be taken into consideration that distance was a relative matter. The higher you were in Dimensions, the more even seemingly large distances were completely irrelevant. 

In a pinnacle Seventh Dimensional world like this one, eight to ten meters to a Fifth Dimensional existence was a large one. But to a Sixth Dimensional existence, it was already worth no more than a single step. If not for Anarchic Force, it would be a pitiful gap. 

But this truth only made Derrion's eyes narrow further. 

At that moment, a golden ray enveloped Derrion's body and he shot out a powerful punch, his thoughts not impeding the speed of his movements in the slightest. 

His gaze flashed with a ruthless light, the speed of his fist suddenly accelerating while it was already deployed. 

BANG!

Fist and Spear Force met, the sound of the collision causing the ground to rumble. 

DONG! DONG! DONG!

Derrion's expression warped as he was forced to take three heavy steps backward. The echoing of his footsteps filled in the harsh silence that suffused the air, the spectators watching with their hearts trembling. 

Leonel had attacked with his Spear Force at a distance and Derrion had waited until it was in range to use his Fist Force in the most optimal range for himself. The former had weakened itself and hadn't even made use of a weapon, all while facing the latter which was in its strongest state… And yet this was still the ultimate result?! How was that possible?!

Leonel's footsteps never paused, the distance between them being increased to 15 due to Derrion's retreat, only to be cut down to 10 again by Leonel's slow and deliberate approach. 

Derrion met Leonel's gaze, but all he saw was an indifferent coldness, a depth of unfathomable air that made it feel more like he was facing a towering behemoth as opposed to a young male human. 

His heartbeat slowed and his blood ran cold for a moment before a rush of golden Force rushed through his veins, causing his skin to redden and his body temperature to skyrocket. 

Derrion released a roar, veins popping across his forehead and his body growing a size as his muscles bulged. At the same time, his wild golden hair fluttered wildly, truly becoming like the man of a lion. 

CLANG! CHINK! PSSS!

The sound of armor snapping into place resounded as Derrion's God Runes and golden Force fused into one, manifesting into a radiant defense that seemed one part beast fur and another part refined white-gold metal. However, regardless of which part of it was in question, all of them had God Runes floating about them, exuding a tremendous aura. 

Leonel continued to walk forward, his palm flipping over to reveal a spear that was an even more radiant white-gold. Just the harpoon-like blade alone shimmered as bright as stars, radiating out with a light so blinding that it seemed to split the natural gloominess of the Void Palace in two. 

Derrion slammed his gauntlet covered fists together, a rippling Force of gold spreading out into the surroundings with a mighty and unrestrained air. 

He stomped the ground, hard. His hair rose into the skies and the roar of a beast left his lips. With a twist of his torso and hips, he unleashed one of his absolute strongest fists. 

In the surroundings, the weak fainted one after another, unable to withstand the roar. It felt as though consciousnesses had been gripped by the jaws of a lion and crushed with a single bite, their gazes falling into darkness. 

Those that were further away were lucky enough to rush back to avoid the brunt of the effects, but even then, they felt their knees go weak. They knew all too well that this was one of the most basic abilities of the Lio family's famous Lion Pride Lineage Factor. 

However, at that moment, Leonel only casually pierced out with his spear. 

It looked as though he had done nothing more than tap at the air. Despite the fact he was using a spear now, the feeling was just as casual, just as unbothered, just as unhurried. 

And yet… The entire world seemed to fall into silence beneath the presence of that spear strike. 

The wind grinded to a halt. The churning black clouds above stopped moving. Derrion's roar was silenced. 

There was only a single ray of gold that appeared before the Lio family youth's chest in a single blink, piercing past his fist and through him as though he was nothing more than the very air that had come to a stop.