Leonel waved a hand, his gaze sharpening. He could already feel the movement of the Scholars. The only reason they had hesitated was because of Velasco. It could be said that Velasco was only ignoring them now because they weren't worth much in the grand scheme, something that was difficult for these Ancestors to accept. But that moment of hesitation had actually caused their genius to fall.
Despite this, their reactions were odd. Rather than being torn or inconsolable, they were actually... worried? This was an emotion that made sense, but the trouble was that it was a bit misplaced, and it didn't seem severe enough given the situation.
Anya fell from Leonel's arm.
Seemingly feeling that something was odd, Leonel also waved a hand, severing Anya's head from her neck and then sending two fingers forward, a sharp Bow Force taking shape and attacking the location of her Ethereal Glabella directly.
With his current Dream Force, seeing through this only took a small amount of effort. He wouldn't make a mistake like he had with Amery, missing the Ethereal Glabella after his first attack.
However, even after Anya's head shattered, his eyes remained narrowed. The reaction of the Scholars was still off.
That was when it happened.
A blinding pillar of light rose from the Starship in the distance.
The vessel had been completely ignored by Leonel. It was because it was far too impractical for this battle and not nearly powerful enough. If he wanted to make a difference with the Starships, he would need a whole fleet of them, but he only had one, not even counting the second and larger of the two.
In addition, it was better that he did ignore it. After all, his brothers and many of the geniuses of the humans had retreated back to them. Not using the Starships could count as keeping them out of the line of fire.
However, there was someone else that was on the Starship, a woman that Leonel had found practically useless after defeating her...
Harmony.
Harmony was unable to participate in the Heir Wars because she was only in the Sixth Dimension and far too weak. Of course, that was just by the standards of Leonel. Compared to other Sixth Dimensional existence, she was even beyond the so-called Cataclysm Generation. It was just that Leonel and Aina were on a completely different level.
But there was something else that clicked for Leonel in that moment. Back when he was fighting Harmony, there was an odd and sudden boost to her strength that occurred not long after she communicated with Anya.
'Two sides of the same coin...' Leonel's eyes narrowed.
From the location where Anya's corpse had collapsed, another pillar of light formed, forcing Leonel back a great deal.
The rage in Leonel's heart was only growing. He wanted this matter to be over and done with, but bullshit kept coming. It was like the world was telling him that his power alone wasn't nearly enough, as though it was trying to remind him just how insignificant he was.
The more he thought about it, the more furious he was. He clenched his fists, his pores suddenly dilating and beginning to spew out small streams of flames. His body was completely coated, but he didn't seem to have noticed at all, his patience wearing thinner and thinner and thinner.
The two pillars of light combined, a shadow of Harmony and a streak composed of Anya's corpse shooting into the skies and melding into one.
Their auras began to soar, growing fiercer and fiercer until they reached the very pinnacle of the Seventh Dimension, but even this didn't feel like it was enough to describe it properly. It was an aura no weaker than an Ancestor's despite the level it was stuck out. It felt like Anya... or maybe it was Harmony... or maybe both... could cross the Dimensional barrier and battle it out with Ancestors whenever she so pleased.
Anya stood in the skies, power overflowing.
Her horns were twice as large as they had been before, the Death Force that was under her control spilling over from all sides.
Leonel didn't even give her more than a glance, his rage continuing to spill over.
"RISE."
His roar echoed, the corpses of Ancestors that had fallen under his father's might and his own spear beginning to rise out from the ground.
However, just when it seemed that he would succeed, Anya cast a glance downward and her Death Force fell like a torrent.
"Trying to control death before me? Your arrogance will be your downfall," she said lightly.
The connection Leonel had formed was stripped away. It felt like the souls that had just been in the palm of his hands were accelerated on their path to the underworld, not giving them a chance to resurrect at all.
Anya looked toward Leonel, seeing the flames raging out of control around him she shook her head. Indeed, it seemed that this answer she was going after didn't matter. Clearly, it was already much too late for Leonel. It wasn't a matter of when it would happen anymore, because it already had.
He felt that the whole world was beneath his notice, as though he could act with naked abandon and not be expected to care for the consequences. He didn't understand the kind of good work she was trying to do.
This world was designed to go down a certain path. Whether it was Leonel's grandfather, his father, or Leonel himself, they all tried to deviate from this path. For the greater good, for the people that called this place home, they had to take a step back, and if they refused to do so...
They deserved to die.
She raised her hands to the skies, her palms facing upward. Even beneath the carnage of the battle of Velasco and the Four Great Families, she seemed to have carved out her own piece of the skies.
The phantom of a Death Pulse Deer took shape and her aura reached its peak.
Her scythe flew up from the ground as she stretched out a hand.
Without another word, she slashed downward, aiming for nothing more than to take Leonel's hand.
However, she had only just attacked when she froze, looking down at her chest again.
Why was there an arm in her again...?