Dimensional Descent

Leonel grit his teeth, his jaw clenching with such force that it might have been heard if it wasn't for the heavy rain falling from the skies.

Up above, a vortex of black clouds rumbled and sparked with lightning, becoming louder and more dangerous with every passing moment as though a tornado trying to touch down to the earth.

The moment Leonel heard Alexandre's words, a rage began to pump through his veins.

In the past, he hadn't cared about kneeling very much. It wasn't a devaluing of himself, but rather that he had never assigned the action as something that would grant or snatch such a thing as value from a person.

Having grown up in a world that was more monarchy than democracy, something like paying respects to the Emperor was a part of everyday life. It had never been a struggle to keep or hold onto a meaningless pride, especially when everyone around you had been indoctrinated in the very same way.

It wasn't until Leonel met King Arthur that he suddenly gained a revulsion toward kneeling. But, even then, it wasn't because of the action itself, but rather because he felt as though it was being used as a power play to elevate another at his expense.

Back then, King Arthur was meant to tell him to rise, yet purposely chose not to as a method of applying more pressure on Leonel. What he didn't know was that even someone like Leonel had their own breaking point, especially when they put as much emphasis on Respect as Leonel did.

Since that day, Leonel never casually kneeled. But at this moment, with his face being grinded into the ground, with the fury of his army billowing around him, he hated it even more.

Veins popped across his body. Even though his skin couldn't seem to sustain his Bronze Runes anymore, his eyes still pulsed with a strong red. But, at that moment, for whatever reason, the usual violet hue that curbed the murderous violence of the crimson was nowhere to be seen.

give way to Leonel. But, the moment he managed to rise high enough to make eye contact with

BANG!

of his skull was threatening to shatter. If it wasn't

shook his head. "I'll give you as many chances as you need,

"GENERAL!"

waved a hand, causing a barrier to block a wave of soldiers from charging through. However, it became very clear, very quickly, that he hadn't done this for the sake

himself flying through the barrier, his momentum not having stopped

of madness took over his eyes as he continued to

on Leonel, causing

far heavier than the falling rain. As though an anvil

again. Clearly,

lessened, and yet he felt as though he should push it aside, that he

less than his pride or the cost of

The reality was that it was all too much. He wasn't willing to bear the burden

need to be present at every battlefield? Why was it that he insisted on charging as

because he didn't want to feel that weight, that heaviness… The things he asked for himself, he couldn't

scraped along the ground, his strength causing it to

fists, he pushed himself up to