Dimensional Descent

Leonel stood in silence.

In the skies, the lines of red-black grew thicker, the leaches become less and less illusory.

Leonel's gaze shifted down from the skies, landing on Aina who still seemed to be immobile. Though it now seemed to be in part due to struggling against the Puppet Master's growing control, a large majority of it seemed to be fear.

Leonel found it hard to believe that this was his Aina. Fear was never an emotion he had seen her display before. At the very least, not for the sake of an enemy.

It could be said that the first time Leonel saw Aina's façade crack was that day in the bathhouse. He could still remember the path every tears that fell down her cheeks took. He remembered the exact hue of her reddened eyes, the way her wet hair had stuck to her face, the way she trembled through each and every one of her clumsy actions.

The emotions she experienced that day were all seared into his mind.

But, that was that and this was this.

The Aina he knew charged into war with her ax brandished and her blade bloodied. She had no fear, none of the shyness she usually displayed, and the valiant nature of a Valkyrie.

But Aina, his Aina, stood here shaking simply due to a voice.

Leonel remembered back to the time he asked Aina what happened that day. She reeled back, trying to pretend as though everything was fine. Yet he, instead of trying to understand where she was coming from, pulled back instead.

understood the fear she was feeling, the anxiety or the trepidation. He didn't grasp the fact that just recalling such memories

though to push the emotions she was feeling away. She didn't want to experience such a reaction, she

touched her cheek, she didn't react until several moments later. It was as though the warmth of his palm couldn't reach her

finally realized that Leonel was standing right before her, she looked up

or even him. It was rage she pointed toward herself for being so weak, for allowing such emotions to have such

can't move again…" Aina

his hand gently

a spring breeze, riding the wind. There was no rage in

But for Aina, he could speak such words as

did have to lean her head onto Leonel's palm. Her eyes

see it."

"As

tinge of iciness that left

of taking his woman… The Puppet Master was

Master called her such a thing, she felt

his hand away, ripping the tops of his robes off to reveal a muscular frame. He carried Aina onto his

closed. She didn't want Leonel to

at Dark Cloud Prison, so how could it? However, at

war drums, his blood flooding through his

the thickening lines that shot into the sky began to converge on Leonel's position. When Leonel saw who they