Dimensional Descent

"That's it?" Aina asked. "Just the sign?"

Leonel chuckled. "There's a perfectly good building right here. If we destroy it, wouldn't we have to build a new one? We'll just have to thank Treanna in advance."

Aina shook her head. Sometimes she couldn't decide whether Leonel was charismatic, or the exact opposite. What kind of charismatic person was so good at pissing people off? She didn't even have any good emotions toward Treanna, but she suddenly felt bad for her.

By this point, Leonel had crippled so many of Treanna's people that Aina wouldn't be surprised if most were too afraid to even help the Green Thread Faction any longer. Then, he stripped three of her more powerful Faction guardians naked and posted them up for everyone to see. And now, as though all of that wasn't enough, Leonel actually wanted to just snatch away one of their buildings?

Although Aina had only been in one of Treanna's "hospitals", it was enough to know that their Faction had spent quite a lot on aesthetics, and was especially particular about using materials that could keep Anarchic Force out.

There was no doubt that the building itself was worth just as much as the ground it was built on, if not more. Aina had thought that Leonel would destroy it entirely, but who knew that he would actually be shameless enough to speak of just keeping it?

"I didn't know you could be so shameless."

"I'm still holding back," Leonel said proudly, as though he had been complimented. "If I were to really go all out, we'd be on baby three by now."

Aina didn't know what to say. How'd he manage to make this about baby making again? Did he not have anything else on his mind? They were about to enter a battle!

As though Aina's thoughts were some kind of cue, the doors of the treatment center burst open, three individuals charging out at once. It was clear that the commotion of their sign being split in two and falling to the ground wasn't small, even alerting so many.

When they saw that it was Leonel and Aina across from them, their expressions changed. By now, who of the Green Thread Faction wouldn't have heard of these two?

Leonel didn't wait, holding up the permit he had just purchased.

"I'll be challenging your storefront today."

His words were simple and didn't carry the same smiling expression he had had for Aina at all. However, they alone were enough for the accumulating crowd to react as though a bucket of water had been thrown into hot oil.

The expression of the green haired young man leading the group changed before becoming nasty.

Why was it that lots of land near Senate Branches were so valuable? One of the reasons was the safety inherent to the region. Fighting within a Senate Branch was prohibited, and most subconsciously stretched out that range to the general vicinity of the Branch as well.

However, Leonel was clearly not a person with such qualms.

It was clear Leonel believed that their Faction was one he could just casually bully whenever he wanted. Many had already acknowledged his strength, and it was fair enough that it could be said that their Faction had started things, but did he think that he could be so casual with challenging them?

Leonel had spent a year in seclusion, and he had only just entered the Void Palace, so how could he know about the trials and tribulations their Faction had already undergone? The Viror family was nowhere near as strong as the Morales family, to begin with, nor could it compare to the Constellation families, or those other noble families that ran big shot organizations like Shield Cross Stars or the Force Crafter's Guild.

And yet, despite not having such a background, they had managed to carve out a monopoly for themselves on the backs of not just their hard work, but the talent of their future Matriarch, Treanna.

As badly as Leonel and Aina thought they had been bullied by their Faction, when they had just started off, they had faced far worse. So, from their point of view, Leonel and Aina were overestimating themselves!

At least back then, Treanna still had the backing of her Faction. But right here, there were only these two. Did they think that they were enough?!

The young man stormed forward, a heavy black chain appearing in his hands.

Without waiting for another word, he flicked his wrists, causing it surge forward like a tide.

The shadows of the chains seemed to block all lanes of retreat. The attack was swift, and powerful, but flexible and subtle at the same time. Leonel had rarely fought chain and whip experts in the past, but there was no doubt that this young man was the most skilled he had ever seen.

His hand shook, and one of his fingers flexed as Spear Force accumulated. He was just about to pierce forward when Aina grabbed his wrist.

"I let you have all the fun last time because you were angry, but this time it's my fault. Do you think you're the only one with a temper?"

Aina glared at Leonel before ignoring him entirely and sending out a punch.

In that moment, what sounded like a clap of thunder shattered the snaking shadows, revealing the image of the main whip, only for it to collide with Aina's fist.

Compared to the heft of the chain, Aina's slender arm and small fist really looked too frail. And yet, it was exactly this frail punch that stopped the chain in its place, sending a surge of energy through its body and causing the wrist of the young man controlling it to break.

A shriek of horror sounded, but Aina had already vanished from her spot, her foot lightly tapping the ground as a rush of crimson fog enveloped her.

Leonel seemed to realize at that moment that Aina hadn't just improved a little bit, she was now in the Quasi Sixth Dimension, and her strength showed it.