Dimensional Descent

Aina felt as though all the wind had been knocked out of her. The faint light of hope she thought she could grasp on to suddenly went up in smoke, disappearing like a fleeting fragrance in the wind.

After a moment, the male Invalid finally recovered from his shock.

That last struggle of Aina's, especially the shout, had actually put a dent in its stamina. Though it wasn't as exaggerated as him being on his last legs, at least a third of his reserves had been sapped up.

In truth, Aina's breakthrough wouldn't have made a difference. It was the final act of defiance that truly impacted him.

But, it seemed that this final push had truly taken whatever she had left out.

When the Puppet Master recovered, its gaze narrowed, a slight hint of ferocity hidden within their depths.

"It seems that you don't understand how to be grateful, what a shame."

The male Invalid reached up from Aina's cheek, ripping the crown from her head.

"Oh?"

At that moment, the control the male Invalid had on Aina increased by more than tenfold. Whereas Aina could at least struggle and resist before, right now, she couldn't even breathe without the Invalid's permission.

"So that's how it is. Clever, clever. You diverted some of your mental strength into hiding the grade of this treasure from me so that you could struggle in secret. I thought that your mental strength was nothing compared to me to begin with, but to think it was even worse than I originally believed."

The Invalid examined the headpiece closer. After a moment, it began to laugh again.

"A Quasi Bronze Treasure? An one that boosts mental strength as well? You are truly my guardian angel!"

The Invalid's laughter seemed even more uproarious than before. But, it only made sense. Such a treasure to a mental strength expert like him would be like giving wings to a tiger.

It already allowed someone with such poor Soul Force like Aina to struggle against a near Fifth Dimensional entity like it. What kind of amplification effects would it have on him?

its head. Though it was somewhat feminine, it was already clear that appearances

take decades, even centuries to begin to bear fruit, the benefit

that the Heavens were smiling down on it before, it was convinced without

"AH! YES! YES! YES!"

opened up to it. The restrictions on Aina became even sturdier. It was to the point it

Aina. By now, its erection had calmed. It looked

shame that you aren't obedient. But this is

up the knife on the table and spun it in the air, allowing to fall as it

embedding itself into wood sounded again. But this time, it had severed the fingers from Aina's

wracked her body, threatening to throw her into the pits of hell. It felt as

as it picked up one of her fingers, sniffing at

swept across the crimson liquid

"Oh my!"

Invalid came back, soaring to towering heights even past where it had

"Magnificent! Wonderful! Unbelievable!"

Invalid could no longer hold itself back. Its teeth shone beneath the crimson lights as it

of crunching bones shook Aina to her soul. She sat there and watched as her finger was

fear, the helplessness, the despair… It swarmed around her like inner devils looking to devour all sense

die here!

roar these words in her mind, the tears of blood continuously streaming down her face. But, it simply didn't seem to matter what she thought

there be such a delicacy in

haunting thoughts eating at

really die here? But what about her mother? What about her revenge? What about

bitterness took root in her

better. She didn't know how much effort the young man put

of

'I can't die here…'