Leonel turned back. His heart couldn't calm, but its beating had slowed somewhat. That roadblock ahead was as tall and thick as it was before. In fact, the more he observed the battle above him, the more he felt that he was still underestimating things.
The Scholars' eyes narrowed, the apprehension in their hearts increasing. They had no idea how this had happened. How could they just disappear right before their eyes? If there had been some sort of spatial tunnel formed, then they would have been able to take action to cut them off. But how could you move someone such a large distance without Spatial Force?
More oddly, who would have the willingness to save Aina and Alienor, but not Leonel? What sense did that make?
Anya's gaze flickered, seemingly thinking of something. But she didn't say anything about it, it was Lionel instead who seemed to have lost his mind. He roared out, his expression warping. Not only had his mother ignored him, but she had disappeared not long after. He had finally seen her after so long, and yet this was what had happened.
His Dream Force peeled off into countless layers, twisting and warping the space around him. It was truly the stuff of nightmares.
Werebeasts, monsters, twisting distortions of fear and animosity, all bundled up into a single, towering tapestry of twisting dreams.
Anya frowned slightly, her lips parting as though she was preparing to say something. But it was actually Leonel who spoke this time first.
"SHUT UP!"
Leonel's roar echoed like a clap of thunder. All at once, Lionel's Dream Force seemed to have been forced back into a bottle.
In a flash, Leonel had appeared before him, his fingers shooting out like a spear and ripping Lionel's throat through.
Leonel's wrist flickered and his hand wiped off to the side, the motion causing a disk of crimson blood to erupt from Lionel's throat, separating his head and neck.
Anya's brows jumped. Their strongest Savant had died... just like that? What?!
Leonel kicked out, his eyes lit with fury. Lionel's entire body exploded to pieces.
He grabbed out at that air. "RISE."
Lionel's soul was ripped out from his body.
"ASSIMILATE."
Lionel's soul didn't even get a chance to show its loyalty. In fact, he wasn't the only one that was too slow. An odd and mysterious force seemed to rush forward, but it was far too late.
Leonel knew exactly what it was. It was that odd force that had appeared after he captured Monkey, the very one that appeared after he took him out and he died right before his eyes. But this time, Leonel was even faster than it.
The rush of violent violet aura surged and Leonel's hair fluttered into the air. He grasped at the skies before him and the atmosphere changed.
Anya's foot tapped the ground and she glided backward, out of reach of Leonel's influence, or so she thought. She looked down and her expression changed, why was she still standing in the same area? She could have sworn that she had moved back.
"I've already returned the favor I owe you. Right now, I think that you should just die," Leonel said coldly.
He reached forward at the air right before him. There was still quite some distance separating himself and Anya, and yet her neck magically appeared in his palm.
Anya's pupils constricted, but her face was surprisingly calm given the situation. She just hadn't expected this change to be so sudden and for her life to be in danger so swiftly. But since she had dared to take control of Lionel, why would she be afraid now?
Her pupils slowly relaxed and a ring on her finger trembled before Leonel's hand could squeeze. At that moment, a figure appeared to her back.
A Domain spread out in an instant and all the Dream Force that had been at Leonel vanished into thin air.
Anya's body was enveloped by a pure white light and she vanished into motes.
Leonel cast an indifferent glance toward the one that had appeared from Anya's ring. It was actually yet another Savant, one with the ability to disperse Force and nullify Ability Indexes.
Anya appeared by the Savant's side, but before she could speak, Leonel pierced forward with two fingers. A strong pulse of Bow Force took shape. Her expression changed, but it was much too late.
The Savant's head burst like a watermelon, the rain of blood splattering toward Anya who had been by his side. A white light shielded Anya from being spoiled, but the Savant was deader than dead.
Anya heart leapt into her throat. She didn't understand what she was seeing. First the Dream Force of a Savant was directly suppressed. Then, a Savant who should have had the ability to nullify all Force, Ability Indexes and Lineage Factors had suddenly died to... Force?!
However, Leonel didn't even take it seriously. When he first met Savants, they were existences that he found hard to fathom. But now, he had long since come to know that they were just as fragile as everyone else, if not more so. If not, why were they strategic resources that powerful families could take control of? If they were so invincible, wouldn't they have a rising power of their own that could exist outside of the shadows? What right did a mere Savant have to suppress his Sovereign Force?
Leonel waved a hand. "RISE."
That mysterious energy appeared again, but Leonel was even faster. "ASSIMILATE."
This kind of soul soldier would have been far more useful to him as a separate entity, but it couldn't be helped. Leonel knew that if he didn't assimilate these souls instantly, whatever that mysterious energy would, it would step forward and scoop these Savants up.From .
Leonel's Dream Force, which had vanished, appeared once again in full force. By then, Anya had already calmed down.
She sighed lightly. "How about you return my sister to me, Leo, and accept the guidance of the Three Finger Cult? It's still possible for you to turn a new leaf, you're following down the wrong path.
"Not everything in life can be calculated, I've told you that one before. Trying to treat life like it's something that can be weighed on a scale is something only a narcissist would do. You aren't as special as you think you are.
"Also, I believe you've forgotten... You owe me two favors, not just one."
Anya spoke lightly, her voice light and gentle. She had told Leonel these things once before, but this time, her words were far more direct and forceful.
Leonel truly looked at Anya for the first time. He didn't just look through her, he looked into her.
"The first favor was returned when I didn't kill your sister. The second favor was returned when I didn't use your sister to find you and take your head."
Anya's gaze flickered. How arrogant. She was always with the people of the Three Finger Cult, did he think killing her was so easy?
Her gaze couldn't help but become colder and colder. Every word Leonel spoke was as though he was looking at an ant, an insignificant figure that would be buried six feet deep in the blink of an eye.
"Now, my patience has run out."