Dimensional Descent

Leonel stood frozen, his silver rod gripped tightly in one hand and the bracelet he had traded for Aina in his other. He hardly heard the shrieks of the girls cowering behind James as he watch her use Conrad's own shirt to wipe his blood from her arm.

Aina's gaze didn't ever seem to leave his own. Maybe it was Leonel's own illusion, he wasn't sure. But what was certain was that Aina made her way over to him. In a series of events that were nothing more than a blur to him, his bag, the one she had been carrying all this time, the very one he had allowed her to use as a pillow, ended up in his hand. The very same hand he held the bracelet in.

The massive battle axe on her seemingly delicate back cast a shadow over his face, dwarfing him completely. Leonel wasn't even consciously aware of what happened next, he only caught small tidbits.

Savahn was too scared to approach Aina anymore. Yuri's demeanor changed with Aina's appearance as though she had never been afraid. The odd world they were in began to tremble. And before Leonel knew it, he was standing on the grass gardens that once surrounded the Northern Dormitories.

All he could think about was Aina's gaze. Her amber, almost golden eyes, peering through his soul. It wasn't particularly cold, nor did it fill him with fear, but there was something deeply unsettling about them, a feeling that set an itch he couldn't reach in his heart.

"Leo! LEO!"

Leonel's eyes flashed as his body shifted to the side. He stuck his silver rod into the soft soil beneath him and used his now free hand to grab to the side.

His reactions were inconceivably quick. He hadn't even seen who attacked him from behind even to this moment. All he had was a frail wrist that almost seemed like it could snap with a single squeeze.

'Strength 0.72?'

Leonel was stunned. Knowing he wouldn't be able to hold on for so with his 0.67 level strength, he used the attacker's momentum against them, pulling on their wrist and sweeping his leg across.

'That's… That's the girl who threw up that day…'

Leonel's white pupil'd underclassman flipped in the air, falling on her back with a resounding thud.

James, who had been the one calling out to Leonel, blinked in shock before smiling bitterly. It seemed his best friend had had his own massive improvements. In fact, with how alert Leonel had been even in a daze just now, he had a feeling that Leonel had suffered more than them all.

Yet, he had somehow managed to keep a bright smile on his face when he came back, only for him to lose that smile due to that event that shocked even James himself. He really didn't know how to console Leonel.

'Leonel is too soft… How could he deal with the girl he's chased for five years now being…'

James sighed.

"We can't stay here." Leonel finally pulled himself out of his slump. He knew that this wasn't the time to be sulking.

Grabbing his silver rod, he pressed it to his underclassman's chest, using his leverage to stop her from using her obscene strength.

With a quick glance around, he understood the situation.

Luckily, in the months they had been gone, the white pupil'd mutants had dispersed. But with Leonel's senses, he could hear many of them approaching as though they could grasp their location.

Leonel counted the number of people around him, feeling a sudden pang when he realized that the number was much less than it should have been.

"Zavier… He?"

clenched. "I entered the Sub-Dimensional Zone with him, Milan

beat erratically for a long while before he managed to stop it. There had been over 30 of them in the beginning, but now only 12 remained. In fact, he felt that it

butt of his silver rod caught Leonel's attention, causing him to frown. Before he could react, a flying

with a gloomy expression as the girl's

Aina with her arm raised, her expression nonchalant as though nothing had happened. Aina's gaze had

are you doing?"

she felt what she had done was only natural. Or, maybe it was because she didn't think that Leonel had such a fierce gaze in him. It was

pull his will behind

to a neutral gaze that almost said

Leonel began to glow, turning into motes of light that fused

the 'stats' of his friends because it was an instinct he reserved for enemies. But he could faintly feel that Yuri had improved in strength by a small fraction. It was too small of a fraction for Leonel

sharp enough to break it down further. If he had

such a dangerous environment, so instead of being offended by your question, I will explain it to you. These white

If they swallow those of us who succeeded, they have a chance to evolve and regain their consciousness. The reason they allowed us to enter the Sub-Dimensional Zone first is because it's in their best interest that we are stronger — they

now. So, by

Invalid was a C-grade Invalid. It is impressive that you were able to handle her so easily. You are worth forming a working

dull. One couldn't see it, but the veins of his right hand bulged like raging serpents as he clutched the bracelet in his palm. There was something

it?' Leonel

[Congratulations!]

all of their

in crossing this first trial. Though many have fallen, you can be considered the true

individuals may have once been your friends and family, but right now, their only instinct is to swallow you. They are known as Invalids. Though they appear in the same form they once had when they were alive, they are little more than energy with

system as your Sub-Dimensional Zones, from the F-grade to the SSS-grade. Be

will point you toward the closest center of power in your region. Please head there as quickly and safely as possible so that you can be properly registered. Those who fail to

voice was no longer mechanical. In fact, it was distinctly human. Leonel had heard this very voice before. Many times before, actually. It was the Emperor of the Ascension Empire, Emperor Gervaise

they need that, can't they already monitor

technology weren't exactly perfect quite yet. Maybe they still weren't aware that Leonel was

toward a direction, much like the Tier 4 Black detector Leonel had for

Leonel looked back over toward Yuri

orders we follow are mine. Are we clear

to respond, but Aina's delicate hand blocked

problem. You seem to have strong sensory

remembered. He still couldn't wrap his mind around her actions. How could he

just had a hard time crossing that line. Maybe

stuffed the bracelet into the ragged pockets of his sweats. He turned his body away, not

alright, Leo?" James whispered to his

worry about me… I think I've already

patted his shoulder and didn't say