Dimensional Descent

Xavnik had already regained his calm. When he looked at Leonel, his emotions were unreadable.

In truth, he hadn't expected for Leonel to actually win such a battle. Amery was arrogant, but he had the right to be. He was the reason why despite the fact that the Morales had so many Heirs in this generation, no one had spoken of the Suiard family's decline. He alone, with his sword, was enough to uphold the skies for them.

He was an existence seen to be on the same level as Velasco. He was only over 25 years old, but he had already reached Tier 2 of the Seventh Dimension, and very soon he would enter Tier 3. He was an existence the likes of which very few could match up to already, and that was proven by him comprehending the Cosmos Realm.

It had to be remembered that not everyone returned at the same time. Depending on their distance from Leonel when the formation had been activated, one could either return sooner or later during that 20-year span, and most had returned around 10 to 12 years ago.

Amery, however, had only returned about five or so years ago. It went to show one just the kind of talent he had to reach such a state so quickly. After he returned from the Tribulation, it was as though he had become an entirely different man.

But it had all been useless before Leonel.

Amery was born and raised seriously by the Suiard family from the moment he picked up a sword. Leonel had only returned to the Morales family a month ago.

Amery had been training since he was a toddler. Leonel only began when he was 17 years old, and even then he had no sort of guidance aside from a silver disk and the memories of the experts in the Spear Domain Ring, experts that Amery had access to on his own side.

On top of that already 17-year advantage, Amery gained five more years of advantage thanks to the Cataclysm Zone.

The gap between them was obvious, and it was a shocking thing to accept.

But what stunned Xavnik even more was maybe the implication of Leonel's words. What had he meant by those words? They didn't save Amery because they knew he could survive? By him saying that, didn't that mean?

Xavnik's gaze turned serious.

"What? Not going to admit it?" Leonel laughed.

He had expected this. In order for Leonel to know the relationship between Xavnik and Amery, it would mean that he understood things he very much shouldn't have, like Xavnik's goals, who he was working for, what underbelly lay in the Morales family and when it might spring up upon them.

But all of that was impossible. Leonel wasn't Second Nova, and even Second Nova couldn't claim to know so much.

Leonel's laughter made Xavnik uneasy, and all the progress he had made to take the shadow of Leonel out from his heart and soul seemed to be crumbling before his eyes. When Leonel finished his next words, the viciousness that flashed in Xavnik's gaze couldn't be ignored.

"Are you shocked? You shouldn't be," Leonel smiled. "You see, I'm very good at using small details to comprehend the bigger picture. Unfortunately, this partner of yours has very loose lips.

"You know, the first time I met him, it was just about three years ago. Well, it was three years ago to me. To all of you, it was probably closer to 30 years than it is to three by a wide margin.

"This guy was very arrogant back then. Poor little me was just in Tier 1 of the Fifth Dimension, but he had already broken through into the Sixth. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to avoid him because we were both seeking the complete layers of [Dimensional Cleanse], and I had no choice but to battle it out with me.

"I was defeated, quite soundly, but this guy actually tried to take my Spear Domain Ring. And do you know what he said back then?"

Leonel turned from Amery and looked to meet Xavnik's eyes. Xavnik felt as though his world was collapsing, he couldn't breathe properly, it felt like a hand was gripped around his throat.

"He said he knew someone would be far better suited to the Spear Domain Ring than me, can you believe that? What an arrogant bastard, right? He doesn't even use the spear, and look at how antisocial he is, even his family had to arrange a marriage for him just so that he could have a wife, where would he find someone he would give the Spear Domain Ring to? Let alone someone that he trusted and respected enough to do so."

Xavnik's hands were trembling.

It wasn't about the revelation, the revelation itself was almost meaningless aside from the implication that Leonel knew everything. But what was setting Xavnik's heart ablaze was the fact that Leonel had figured so much out based on a single casual sentence spoken years ago to him in the spur of the moment.

There was practically no one who could do such a thing. Such a memory was the kind most would only remember after they found out the truth, and only then would they backtrack and realize the clues had been there all along.

But Leonel's mind seemed to be on an entirely different level. Those clues that were meaningless crumbs to most people's minds became a masterful tale in his own, weaving a story that was 99% close to the truth without much effort at all.

And now facing the weight of those words, Xavnik felt like he couldn't breathe.

Leonel couldn't even be bothered to explain things to his own family, but he had spent so much care laying things out for Xavnik. It was clear that this was the scene he wanted to see; he could practically watch the reflection of Xavnik's world collapsing through his gaze. Leonel found it very amusing.

Somehow, he felt that this was even more satisfying than punching the face of someone he hated.

Seeing that things were going wrong again, and remembering what had happened last time Xavnik had lost his reason, the scantily clad woman suddenly spoke.

She was very disappointed in Xavnik. The Xavnik she knew was a King amongst men and he had always taken his steps so calmly and assuredly... Until he met Leonel. This Leonel had to die, only that way could their anchor in the Morales family be solid. So, she said the most sinister thing she could think of.

"You speak a lot for someone who won't be living for much longer. Amery will not die and will recover quite quickly, and you don't have the strength to land the finishing blow, especially not with us here.

"Whether it's myself or Xavnik, we are both stronger than Amery. And very soon, Amery's fiancée will come, and she's no weaker than him. What chance do you stand?"

Leonel blinked. The pause in his words seemed to give the scantily clad woman a sense of satisfaction, until...

Plop.

A head suddenly descended from the skies, landing and rolling until it hit paused by her feet.

BANG!

A Valkyrie descended from the skies, her black wings blotting out the skies as she landed by Leonel's side heavily.

The scantily clad woman's eyes opened wide. She looked down at the head at her feet, a head too gorgeous to put into words... and yet, it had no body attached to it.

She recognized this head immediately.

The Heiress of the Spirituals Religion!

The shriek of a banshee echoed through the battlefield, the violently whirling tornado of black feathers around Aina seemingly wanting more blood.