Dimensional Descent

Aina tried to rein in her cries, but she couldn't seem to do so. At a moment like this, Leonel would have already swooped in and placed a silencing array everywhere and even hidden her from the crowd. But, he wasn't by her side at the moment.

Having had such a thought, she only seemed to cry harder.

Milan, who had taken up the duty of 'guarding' Aina as he felt he should as one of Leonel's teammates, suddenly became flustered beyond compare. How was he supposed to deal with this? What the hell was going on?

"Ah…" Milan grabbed onto his back. "… Dammit, Cap… Couldn't you have been more light handed?"

The blaring alarms of the pillar made it difficult for even Milan to hear himself, and yet Aina's sobs felt so clear to him. He didn't know if it was because he was close by or if it was something else, but it was almost as though her emotions were being painted onto the air.

The truth was that Aina had completely lost control of her mental coercion. Let alone Milan, even if one couldn't hear her, it felt as though her sobs were being projected right into their minds. And, instead of growing quieter, they only seemed to grow in strength.

Just when Milan truly had no idea what to do anymore, Yuri seemed to appear out of nowhere, sinking to her knees before Aina.

Aina, sensing that someone was before her, tried to look up. But, all she saw was the blurry silhouette of someone she felt she would recognize if not for her tears.

"Young Mistress…?"

"Y-Yuri?"

Aina hardly finished her words before she plunged into Yuri's chest. Her tears fell like a waterfall, casting a melancholy halo over the surroundings.

was stunned. She had never seen Aina like this before. In fact, she could never remember having seen Aina cry at all. The Young Mistress she knew was like a

was just a façade. Aina pretended to be the shy, quiet and reserved type in order to not draw attention to herself, but her true personality

lightly wrapped around Aina's back. She could feel the pulsating trembling and hear the cadence of the ugly cries through her palm. Everything from Aina's wheezing exhales to her sniveling attempts at breathing

almost feel Aina collapsing from the inside out. Her grip around her only grew tighter, her emotions less and

can't do it, Yuri… He's… He's

last words were like a time piece falling to

glass… The destruction of perfectly crafted gears… The ruin of a delicate mechanism sculpted with care

Leonel hadn't done anything wrong? But if he hadn't done wrong, then why was her Mistress

He's… He's going

Aina that she had contacted her father again for the first time in such a

know what to

expression suddenly changed. Her aura flared and a strength

she was about to reveal something she probably shouldn't, she

Aina, knocking her out completely. At that moment the blaring sounds of the alarms seemed to grow a pitch louder, but the reality was that they were finally perceiving it as

toward Head Hutchin in the distance, her gaze expressionless. But, neither of them said or exchanged anything

…

this be a

four of them along with Head Hutchin had all sent a glance toward Aina. Usually, they wouldn't care about the relationships between their students.

was clearly something wrong

wielded or could potentially wield in the future was enough to crush