Leonel closed his eyes. For a moment, everything else in the world seemed to vanish. His breathing grew steady and his heart stilled, even his mind, used to running at impossible speeds, slowed. After a moment, even his thoughts became vacant.
In such a moment, what one should have been feeling was fear. Seeing such a monster before you, a man who was gifted with talent that others couldn't even hope to grasp, what choice was there other than to despair?
However, this wasn't the reality Leonel saw before him. Rather, he saw a path that had suddenly lit afire, blazing a trail that he hadn't noticed before. It was as though he had always been following the wrong path, completely oblivious to the right one that had always been in arm's reach.
In the outside world, everyone else could only see Leonel's Domain rapidly deteriorating. Leonel himself stood, completely unmoving. To his back, what remained of a once 10000 strong army shook beneath Lionel's presence. The only thing that separated them and such a monster was a seemingly frail teenage boy who was at the end of his rope.
Leonel's Domain was directly tied to his Ethereal Glabella and his mind. Every piece of it that faded took another piece of him. Even though Lionel didn't seem capable of taking direct action against Leonel with how strong the latter's Dream Force affinity was, this alone was enough to severely weaken Leonel.
As chain after chain disintegrated, Leonel's mind faltered and weakened. He should have been under an excruciating amount of pain, the kind of horrible, spine tearing torture that could obliterate one's resolve. Yet, Leonel stood, completely unmoving.
In the distance, Aina grew more panicked. She didn't have a detailed understanding of what was happening, but all she needed to see was the fact that the world around Lionel was crumbling.
Though she had managed to hold Anared back long enough for the remaining 200 plus young warriors to curl around them, before they could even manage to get into range to do anything, one of the Savants blocked their path, scratching at his rat's nest-like hair.
The good news was the Lionel's rampage had interfered with Vice's ability as well, allowing them to move even without the protection of Leonel's Domain. But, the bad news was that this unkempt man who the others called Monkey suddenly multiplied in number.
In one moment, there was just one of him. In the next instant, there was two, then four, then eight. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand of him blocked the path forward, causing the troop of youths to come to a grinding halt, serious expressions on their faces. It suddenly became obvious why it was no one could tell the exact number of people Lionel had brought with him.
"Stay in your squads! Don't underestimate him!"
Nile took command of the situation, his gaze flashing with a hint of worry.
Things were quickly getting out of hand. These Savants had completely lost their minds. In fact, this Monkey individual hadn't even blocked their path at Lionel's order.
Nile could see the look in his eye quite clearly... it was boredom. He blocked them simply because he was bored of standing around.
Such an enemy... without logical goals or comprehensible aspirations... they were the most fear inducing.
Nile grit his teeth, sending a look toward Leonel. It seemed as though a struggle was unfurling. On one side, there was the enraged Lionel trying to erase everything that was Leonel. And, on the other side, there was the silent Leonel trying to protect his life. It was simply impossible to see it any other way.
Nile gripped onto his spear. He didn't know what he could do to help even if he made it through, but he knew he wanted to make it no matter what.
He flexed the pole arm between his hands, letting the light of the setting sun reflect across the blade.
He shot forward into the crowd of clones, his will steeled.
Unfortunately, there were many things a strong will couldn't overcome.
As quickly as he came flying forward, Nile shot back. If it wasn't for the two squads of ten he led coming together to stop his flight backward, it was hard to tell just how far he would have gone.
Nile's arms trembled. Though he tried to hold it back, in the next instant, he coughed violently, a mouthful of blood flying from his lips.
Nile looked up, allowing his squads to help him stand.
Not more than ten meters away, the clone he had clashed with stood in a bloody mess, its head peeled open like a grotesque blooming flower of flesh and bone.
What shocked Nile wasn't the fact this had happened, but rather the cause of it. In the moment, the clone had head butted the point of his spear...!
However, what Nile couldn't understand was why the clones were that strong. Most of those with cloning abilities he had come across had strong limitations. Most of the time, the limitation came in number of clones or the strength of them.
But somehow, Monkey didn't seem restricted by either?!
What Nile didn't know was that Monkey's ability wasn't a cloning ability... Monkey had the ability to double almost anything. As for the limitations of his ability, it was hard to tell.
But, if Nile was aware of this, he would understand why it was he was sent flying back so easily. If Monkey could double himself ten times and form over a thousand clones, what would happen if he did the same with his strength? In fact, if it wasn't for the fact Monkey's flesh and blood was so frail, he would be able to exhibit far more of this strength before his body collapsed. In that case, let alone just getting flung back, Nile might have died in a single strike.
If Monkey was smarter and doubled the toughness of his skin and bone, or even if he just had a weapon... his level of strength would be impossible to fathom.
A grim expression took hold of Nile's visage. Even as Monkey's clone collapsed, dead, his heart didn't calm in the slightest. Looking at the over thousand that remained, let alone making it through to Leonel, he wondered if it would even be possible to survive.
When Nile saw the somewhat curious gazes of the Savants that remained, his heart plunged into despair.
He couldn't understand why these people were gifted with so much strength. And, all the while, their leader was losing his mind and roaring into the skies but they didn't even seem to notice in the slightest.
When Aina saw Nile get repelled so easily, her heart constricted. Any hopes she had of Nile, Nika and the others making it to Leonel before Lionel could harm him seemed to disappear.
Out of habit, Aina began to bite at her lips again, her anxiousness growing. At the same time, she felt a belly full of rage every time her battle ax crossed paths with Anared's sword. Even though she was just a margin weaker, the ferocity of her attacks only seemed to grow. Her every strike carried the intention to kill, her heart nearly bursting out from her ribcage under the exertion.
She didn't care about the stamina consumption. Every time she swung, she seemed to carry the weight of the world behind her. The clashes caused the surrounding air to explode, the temperature incrementally rising simply due to the heat coming off their blades.
Still, even as she pressed so hard, she knew it was impossible to make it in time. By now, Lionel's erasure had almost reach Leonel. What remained of his Chain Domain seemed to be on its last legs, dispersing into minute particles before vanishing into nothingness.
Aina's teeth drew blood from her lips, her anxiousness hidden beneath her mask.
'Come on, set faster... set faster...'
Aina anxiously looked toward the sun. But, its descent seemed to be ever so slow. By the time night came around, it would be too late.
Anared continued to indifferently parry Aina's strikes. It wasn't that he didn't want to defeat her right here and now but even he found it difficult to do so. There was no need for him to go all out. At this pace, she would simply tire herself out. By then, defeating her will be as easy as a single sweep of the sword.
Aina sent another panicked look toward Leonel, narrowly avoiding another sword strike.
"No!"
Aina's infuriated shout resonated through the battlefield. For a moment, a fear that was deeply hidden within all their souls seemed to surface. Even the Savants paused in their actions. With their inability to control themselves, the shock and horror was clearly painted on their faces. Even as Savants, they held none of the air true experts should have.
Anared's sword faltered, causing his fluid style to be interrupted. Without a choice, he could only retreat to avoid being bisected, a frown taking over his usually indifferent expression.
Coach Owen closed his eyes, an aching pain far greater than the stab wound through his gut taking hold.
At that moment, Lionel's domain of nothingness seemed to have reached Leonel. By all rights, it should have swallowed him whole. Even Lionel's madness gave way to a slight excitement as though he wanted nothing more than for Leonel to disappear.
However, Leonel's body remained completely unscathed. His body stood in the void of nothingness, completely indifferent, a serene expression on his face.
And then, his eyes finally opened.
When they did, the skies overturned, the darkening clouds of dusk dispersing and the raging winds of the battlefield slowing to a crawl.