Dimensional Descent

[Thanks to Mr. Ham (6/6)]

It could be said that Somnus' words were excellently timed. He had given up on trying to deal with Leonel in a head-on confrontation. If they played a game at Leonel's pace, they would end up losing.

"I don't believe that you're acting with good faith, nor are you in line with the spirit of the Gathering of Minds. If it was just a matter of your abrasiveness, I could let it go. But commandeering the rules of the event in order to avoid exchanging ideas about what amounts to half of our purpose for being here... are you looking down on Force Pill Crafters?"

It was an accusation that held a lot of weight, and one that had the potential to be extremely dangerous depending on the situation. Who didn't know that Force Pill Crafters were far rarer, but also held far more influence as a result?

"If I might make a suggestion to help get things back on track to avoid turning this into a farce..."

Somnus looked toward Aerin and Lyra, both of whom almost immediately paled. "Please challenge him in the alchemy stream after he takes his turn. It is a bit unfair, but I believe this was your original intention, correct? This way, you get to force him into the challenge you wanted originally."

Somnus' plot was quite clever, and unavoidable.

It was distasteful to use his status to pressure Aerin, but as he had said, Aerin had tried to challenge Leonel in the Force Pill Crafting Stream before, that was his first choice. Somnus was just giving him an opportunity to do it again.

So, instead of looking like he was pressuring Aerin and Lyra, it actually looked like he was helping them.

But that was just the first layer. Once this round was finished, it would be Talon and Somnus' turn again. Leonel could turn that down, but then it would be Celestia's turn once more. At that point, what could he do?

There was a hole in this plan... or so it seemed.

According to the rules, Leonel didn't have to participate anymore after completing three challenges. He had already completed one, his turn was coming up now and that could be the second, and finally Aerin and Lyra would be the third.

After that point, Leonel could just pat the dust off of him and leave. And because of Talon's loss, he would have accumulated far more points than anyone else. A Demi-God World Spirit was too valuable to even scale properly, it would probably be hundreds of points at worst. That was more than enough for Leonel to be number one.

But there was an obvious flaw to that line of thinking as well...

obviously wouldn't count as a challenge and following his "battle" with Aerin and Lyra, he would still need to complete

excellent plan. Truly

choose to stand on Leonel's side at the risk of offending four

Of course not.

Yuri and Savahn, who were in the crowd of failed participants, looked toward one another, greatly worried. How could they not know that Leonel was only going through so much trouble to protect

at

you within the rules is to have

the rules? Now, if you

everyone

retreated. Whether he participated or gave up

of a Dream Asura latching onto him, Leonel's gaze seemed to lose all

Owlans in Crafting. I've heard that

expression became ugly when she heard Leonel's words. She grit her teeth so hard that they seemed like they might crack, but in the

"We refuse."

gaze met Celestia's and she

let him win, it

be wearing a similarly helpless expression. "We challenge you to a contest of Force Pill

glance over that made Aerin feel as though he

"Sure," Leonel said lightly.

clenched his jaw and looked toward Lyra.

and set the parameters of the battle. When they were

a moment, are you the Force

there a

there for show, it means that you would have been disqualified before the

show, you say?" Leonel asked in