Flickering

Riah's expression was filled with panic. This matter had already blown up far faster than she had expected. For a Division Head to already be making an appearance was far out of her predictions. It felt like everything was coming crumbling down.

Division Head Therin's expression didn't give much away initially. He had a placid look on his face. He only showed the slightest hint of a frown when he noticed the four enormous silver pillars that surrounded the courtyard. He could sense the strong Spatial and Earth Force fluctuations and it left his heart unsettled.

He came to a stop outside the pillars, his gaze sweeping over to find a small pit where Alfin's body lay, still deformed. No one had come to help him ever since his exchange with Leonel. And, if not for the strong healing properties of Snow Force, it may very well have been the case that he would have already breathed his last.

"What is the meaning of this?" Therin asked coldly.

In truth, he had only overheard part of the story. Even Alfin himself didn't have the right to ask a Division Head for backup, let alone his two lackies. As a result, all Therin knew was that a branch family member had attempted to murder a main family member.

Learning this, he was immediately furious. Hierarchy was among the most important things a family should have. A lack of it would lead to far more trouble than it was worth. A collapse in hierarchy would lead to the downfall of a family not long later.

However, in his fury, he hadn't considered the details. And now that he saw these pillars, he felt that this matter would be even more troublesome than he thought.

"Division Head, it's him! He's the one who struck to kill Alfin!"

Two fingers found their way to Leonel who was still on the roof.

At this moment, Leonel was still just as difficult to read. He stood on the roof, his breathing slowly becoming even once more, but it felt as though his eyes were detached form the rest of his body. Despite his fatigue, they were completely unaffected by it, their deep abyss only becoming deeper.

Even now, as he swept a glance over the 20 or so individuals who had come, he felt unmoved by it all.

What did he want to accomplish here? What was his end goal? Truthfully, he didn't know.

Destroying the Luxnix family? That was more than just a little unlikely. He didn't have the strength to do it and it likely wouldn't be a very long time until he did.

Make those responsible pay? He was just as far away from that goal as well. If Noah's story was anything to go by, it was precisely the most powerful of the Luxnix who were at fault to begin with.

Vent his fury?

Well, that didn't sound so bad… Now did it?

Leonel's figure suddenly flickered and vanished. Twinkling stars were left in his original position, a strong surge of wind manifesting as he reappeared.

The sound of a suffocated gurgle resounded. Division Head Therin's head slowly turned, only to find Leonel's hand clamped down on the throat of the two who had just been pointing at him.

He had appeared within their midst like a shadow. Even though he was a Division Head of the Healing Arm, Therin immediately recognized when he saw it. Leonel's proficiency in using it was so astounding that even he hadn't been able to react in time.

The two young men gripped at their throats, but Leonel's hand had already cut off blood circulation to their brains. They couldn't even think straight, failing to dredge up their Force in time or even remember the techniques they had learned. There was something about Leonel's gaze that made them forget everything, as though they were beasts meeting the King of the Forest.

They foamed at the mouth, their flailing legs going limp.

In that moment, Therin finally reacted. Humiliation and rage bubbled up, his expression twisting and reddening all at once.

"How dare you?!"

A strong surge of Force erupted about him, his fist blasting through the air and piercing through Leonel's skull. The enraged glint in his eye only grew fiercer when he saw that Leonel failed to dodge, however the feeling of emptiness his knuckles felt made his expression change once more.

Leonel stood there, unmoving. Or, so it seemed.

Half his face, the portion Therin's fist had punched through, was nothing more than sparkling motes of light. As for the other half, his one eye gazed toward Therin without the slightest ripple. It felt to the Division Head that he was an ant being observed by the wayside. His heart leapt to his throat, his breathing becoming short and hurried.

He recognized the technique almost immediately. It was .

Just like that, in just a few minutes, Leonel had used , and . The first was one of the strongest techniques of the Healing Arm, the next was one of the strongest movement techniques of the Speed Branch, and the last was known as the most difficult technique to learn within the Fifth Dimension of the Wisdom Branch.

Therin was at a loss. Exchanging for these techniques was one thing, it would usually take a person decades to accumulate enough merits. But, actually learning them to this extent was a completely different matter entirely.

Just who was this boy?!

BANG!

The air shot out of Therin's lungs all at once, spittle and a concentrated wind projectile shooting from his mouth as he flew back.

The image of Leonel he had punched through slowly dissipated, the real form of Leonel appearing, the fist he had just used to punch the Division Head still hanging in the air.

Therin blasted through the entourage he had brought around before skidding along the ground. By now, no matter how good a Sixth Dimensional world was at dispersing the signs of battle, the movement of a Division Head wouldn't go unnoticed as more and more people started to turn their attention toward this courtyard.

Therin's gaze turned crimson, his Snow Force blossoming forth as he stood to his feet. Content is property © .

Leonel's palm flipped over, revealing a three meter long silver spear as his skin flickered with Bronze Runes.

A strong gravitational Domain fell from the skies, streaks of black lines pressuring the integrity of space itself.

Leonel's foot raised, his body flickering once more.