Dimensional Descent

"Cap? You're alright?"

Leonel blinked. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Joel was speechless. He knew that Leonel's EQ wasn't this low. Was he just pretending? Or did that brain of his finally short circuit? He didn't even know how to respond to all of this.

Leonel smiled knowingly but didn't say anything else. The way his own logic worked wasn't something that he wanted to take the time to explain. The number of calculations—one part rigorous, and another part arbitrary—that went into his final decision was so large that he would have to be here all day if these guys insisted on him explaining it all.

To make matters worse, they might not even understand and assume that he was simply forgiving Aina because he was lovesick… When he was probably the only person in this world who wouldn't be guilty of such a thing.

Did Aina's actions hurt? Of course they did. Did Leonel understand why she had done so? He understood that as well.

He knew that Aina had abandonment issues. He knew that she suffered severely from panic attacks and anxiety. It was because of this that he didn't want to look at her during those final moments. As much as he cared for her, he simply couldn't ignore the life and death of his brothers for the sake of her emotions, right?

It was harsh when he put it that way, but it was the truth.

Maybe Leonel's greatest disappointment was that he had left Aina behind expressly so that she could protect his teammates from anything unexpected. Yet, from what it seemed like here, she had left before they were in the clear. The irony of it all wasn't lost on him in the slightest.

much as anything else. It stung so much that Leonel knew he had made those memories far lighter

a long time ago that the one thing he would never tolerate was her losing trust in him. This time, she was barely within a threshold he could accept. If there was a next time, though, the golden balance might be even harsher than it was this time

just didn't want to talk about the topic and avoid it. He knew that they had likely said their fair share of harsh words about Aina in his absence, but since he had already made his decision for now, he didn't feel

than constantly hearing about how terrible she was, he would prefer if all thoughts of her

you trying to stir up, Cap?" Joel asked, seemingly realizing something. Since this was what Leonel wanted, who were they to not oblige? After all,

of his teammates had died during the Metamorphosis, it seemed that eight still remained. He couldn't help but feel genuinely

"Joel."

"Yes?"

of the

demeanor vanished with the wind. His back snapped straight and his

Was this it?

had never seen the last of the three in Leonel before, but they had

believed that Leonel could do better. And, even with how beautiful Aina had become, wouldn't it be too ridiculous if she was

their Captain's qualifications, why wouldn't he be

feared the most was that without Aina, the man they all respected and admired so much