Dimensional Descent

The hilt of Aina's battle ax slammed against the ground with a dull thud, a light breath leaving her lips. Her posture straightened and her eyes partially closed. Her aura seemed to steam and bubble, the dangerous air coming off of her multiplying several times every second even as the subtle patterns of a black panther crawled up her skin, highlighted by a faint crimson glow.

Her hair was gently lifted into the wind before settling down, its length so long that it almost graced the ground with its presence. Though she didn't move or say a single word, her entire demeanor screamed danger. If anyone took even a single step toward Leonel, she would lash out.

The gazes of several of the geniuses narrowed. Everyone had the feeling that this situation was only growing more complicated with each passing moment and it was difficult for them to tell exactly where their place should be.

It was difficult enough for the absolute geniuses who would have been Amethyst Token wielders in other years to decide how to act, but the stragglers that were Golden Token wielders at best were even more lost, suddenly feeling that it was a mistake to come so far.

At that moment, completely out of everyone's expectations, Leonel's eyes suddenly shot open.

A ring of light violently expanded outward, causing a wind to kick up and a wall of pressure to push outward. Some of the weaker individuals found themselves almost lifted up from their feet, their bodies being sent stumbling backward.

"Ha…"

Leonel exhaled a long breath, his body slowly rising. He reached out with a hand, sweat dancing down the contours of his shredded physique. As his Metal Body progressed, it only seemed to make every fiber more defined, every peak larger and every valley deeper, only for it all to be tightly compressed into a lean, thrumming engine.

A spear seemed to manifest from motes of light in the air at the behest of his fingers. The lights grew more numerous before concentrating into a solid weight that fell with the heft of a mountain into Leonel's grip.

For a moment, there was nothing more than a blinding rod of light, too bright to see any of its individual features. However, when its coat of light began to flake off, dancing in the air like twinkling stars, what was left was a spear too stunning to even be properly described in words.

Its length was about two and a half meters from tip to tip, its minor details more beautiful and gorgeous than the last. Its shaft took up most of its weight, designed with white hexagonal plates of metal. In between the gaps of these white hexagonal plates, radiant golden lights were hidden within, giving off an air of unmatched purity.

The spear's blade was a mixture of lethality and astounding design. It had the shape of a harpoon, one side of its blade edge being as flat and smooth as a sword's edge and the other forming three menacing curves that looked like a shark's teeth.

The blade was almost two feet long alone and was a blinding golden color. Sometimes it would appear to be as solid as a finely worked piece of metal, and at other times it would appear as intangible as light itself, dancing between the two dichotomies with a deft ease.

Leonel's grip tightened, his arm flexing as he casually swept his spear to the side in an elegant arc.

BANG!

The ground was sliced in two and immediately lifted beneath the wind pressure alone, a slab of rock rising up and crash into an opposing wall.

The spear made the Seventh Dimensional terrain look like nothing more than playdough, its prowess shining through with a healthy arrogance.

Leonel's free palm still held onto his original Innate Node. Without much of a thought, he slid it into his mouth, allowing it to rest beneath his tongue. The familiar heat coursed through his body, making him feel free and alive.

His glance swept over Aina. She seemed primed and ready, but he simply smiled. Taking a step forward, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

Aina, caught off guard by the sudden showing of affection, faltered slightly. Something about Leonel's sweat after so long consuming Cleansing Waters everyday was particularly refreshing and almost oppressively masculine. It was the kind of smell that left her eyes a bit hazy without her knowledge.

"You like when I explain what I want to do, right?"

Aina looked up and toward Leonel's side profile, her gaze suddenly blinking expectedly.

"Then I'll tell you." Leonel's grin only widened with every passing second.

He swept his gaze over the growing number of groups before his gaze landed on Amery.

"You see that guy over there," he pointed with his spear, "before we leave this Nest today, I'm going to kick his ass. But you see, it's kind of unfair, and I'm not a fan of giving my enemies excuses. So, first, I drained most of my stamina claiming this Quasi Gold Spear."

Leonel's gaze shifted from Amery's back, rolling through the crowd of people once more, his voice being the only sound amidst the battle cries and clashes of the Rapax and Amery.

"But, I don't think that's enough, honestly. I've also heard that there are a lot of people who think my Amethyst Token shouldn't be in my hands."

Leonel released his grip on Aina, taking slow steps forward. His palm flipped over, an Amethyst Token appearing within.

With a flick of his thumb, the Token barreled forth before being firmly stuck in the ceiling above Leonel's head, unmoving.

"So, I thought that I would deal with that first."

At that moment, Leonel's eyes locked onto Armand. The image of the latter's disdain due to his bloodline's reaction was still seared into his memory. Since that moment, he had had every intention of defeating this person using the Luxnix family's Lineage Factor.

"You. I don't really care if you all come together or one by one. Either way, you'll fall beneath my blade first."