Dimensional Descent

'What's going on here, old man?'

'I've never been stupid enough to enter a Rapax Nest, how the hell would I know?'

Leonel's heart felt uneasy, it was like his heartbeat had gone hollow, ringing in his ears and sending an odd wave of something slightly less than pain through his chest. It wasn't quite piercing enough to harm him, but it was too great to ignore at the same time.

The more uneasy Leonel became, the colder his gaze got. Eventually, they began to flicker with a smoldering flame, the temperature around him even rising for a moment.

Aina shifted her eyes from the path ahead to land on Leonel's side profile. But, not long after she did so, she found herself looking into his eyes.

"If it comes down to it and I try to bring you into the Segmented Cube, don't resist." Leonel spoke, his voice tinged with a hint of cold.

Aina stared at Leonel deeply for a long while. It didn't seem like she would respond at all after a while. But, when she finally did, her choice of words were like a baffling sledgehammer to Leonel's chest.

"I am stronger than you."

Leonel, who hadn't looked away from Aina, continued to do so. Despite the fact the words should have been shocking, he didn't seem to react like it was at all. His pace didn't falter, his expression didn't change, and his heart seemed to have regained its calm bearing.

"Don't think that I'm just saying that to say that." Aina continued. "I'm not making it up, nor am I only stronger than you by a small measure."

as when she used it on only herself, she could tell Leonel's deficiencies and had a vague idea of the path he could take to improve himself as well. Of course, she would never give this information to Leonel because of how vague it was, it could very well be skewed. But, it was still enough

would be a greater challenge for him that Myghell would be. In fact, Leonel hadn't yet caught up to

this." Leonel responded, his voice

Aina's brows furrowed.

as you, I

the wind, a stronger tinge

brows slowly relaxed, her limbs becoming looser and her stride becoming wider. Her hair fluttered

ahead as well, exhaling a heated breath,

you."

why do you follow me?" Leonel asked without

you."

silence fell between the two. The sounds of theirs steps were so light that nothing of their passage was left behind. As for Little Blackstar, he was even less of a problem, gliding through the air as though it was solid ground and

"I love you, too."

snapping in Leonel's direction. But, before she could react, she found a hand having

"Leon—!"

just as Leonel

bubbled over. A violet rouge fog erupted around her, her hair grew to the length of a river and her gaze became like a piercing

that the garden around her was vanquished into an ashy pit under nothing

tell whether she was more enraged by the fact Leonel had done this to her again, or if it was because she had no idea whether Leonel had meant those words

the skies, roaring at what felt like nothing. She broke through another Tier, entering