Dimensional Descent

Leonel should have been taking in what the rest of the room had to offer, but truthfully, he couldn't take his eyes off of Aina. Everything from the beads of sweat falling down her face to the apron clinging to her curves made his heart stop.

Aina's smile faded into one of confusion.

"What's wrong?"

For a moment, Aina became worried. In truth, she had taken Leonel's things without asking and even started using the kitchen wares and appliances too. Though Leonel had said to treat this place like her home, had she maybe gotten a little too comfortable?

She blushed in embarrassment, trying to figure out how she should apologize. Though Leonel never spoke about his parents, Aina had gained a few tidbits here and there, definitely enough to know that this place was left behind by his father. After all, she had been there when Leonel first got the Segmented Cube.

For all she knew, this place was very important to Leonel but now whatever sentimental value it might have had was washed away by her cooking.

But, before she could form the words of apology, she found a large shadow enveloping her.

Leonel hugged Aina tightly, seemingly not feeling much from the heat around them at all. At his current level, it might as well have been a slight breeze tickling his skin and nothing more.

Aina was stunned for a moment. But when she realized what was happening, she panicked.

"You … you're going to burn yourself!"

Leonel pulled back and grinned, his smile beaming. Clearly, though, he didn't take Aina's warning very seriously.

In truth, even Leonel didn't quite know why he was so excited. There was just something about the current situation that felt right.

he said this aloud, Aina would probably beat him to death. He might as well have put his foot in his mouth

even though he chose to keep these words to himself, he still beamed beside himself, unable to stop himself from feeling happy for the first time in several

only to find a large steel table filled with delicacies. Each had a small cut in them, making it obvious that someone diligent had gone through and tasted

did all this?"

Leonel wasn't made at her, Aina's smile returned. But, before she could answer, a hint of panic colored her

Leonel's question, dashing to the stove and flipping

like an elaborate omelet, expelling a rich fragrance, flipped in the air to reveal a golden brown base that seemed

of relief before rushing out of the kitchen,

at the end of her run was something that left him even

kitchen, Leonel had been here several times. In fact, he frequented this place. However, he had never seen it

feed a family of eight. But, at the moment, every stretch of table was completely covered with a plate

tippy toes, carefully sliding the omelet onto

before smiling lightly. It was only at that moment that Leonel understood that all the dishes that took up the steel

effort Aina had put into trying different combinations of beast meat and herbs to eventually

there for?"

And so Leonel did.

had thought that maybe like those comedic animes his dad always made him watch, he'd have to pretend to love Aina's food to make her feel better. But the reality was completely outside

look and smell good, it was so delicious that Leonel felt as though he was ascending to another realm. And, in fact, in a way, he was. It was even to the point where even the injuries he hadn't bothered to heal to this point as though a badge to remind him of something, had begun to heal

Though she too had a great appetite, after all the taste tests she had done over the last few days, she was as full as could be

tiny bites he had seen before… Just how many test dishes would she have to have