Leonel stood atop the pillar, the whistling of the harsh winds playing in his ear like an eerie flute.
He didn't seem eager to move. One would have thought that he wasn't being chased at all as he simply stood there, taking deep breaths one measure at a time.
The next steps couldn't be taken casually. Maybe hiding on this planet wouldn't be difficult for him, but leaving it would be a different story entirely.
One would think that he would have an easy time. After all, he had sent his coach back to Earth from Terrain, so couldn't he do the same to himself? Even if it took some time to set up such a formation or draw such a talisman, if he could take his time to breathe, he definitely had time to at least do that, right?
Unfortunately, things were not so simple.
These winds and hurricanes might have appeared to be just simple works of nature, but the reality of it was that the moment one stepped into the Fourth Dimension and beyond, all phenomena had a push of Force behind them. The only difference was in how much Force there was.
This was among the reasons why the fundamental laws of physics began to change which each step of evolution a world took. There was a foreign energy introduced that continuously evolved and grew as it became stronger. How, then, could the same laws of the past apply to it?
As a result, Leonel was in a bit of a predicament.
Trying to teleport out of a world that was practically shielded by wild fluctuations of Force would be asking to die. There was a reason why the only teleportations that occurred on this world were within the protected shield of the pillar. Even coming to this rooftop required the Force Art to be etched directly onto the sturdy surface of the roof itself.
The only way Leonel would be able to teleport away from this world was if he could draw a Sixth Dimensional Force Art, something he obviously could do. Or, if he had prepared an anchor on another world similar to the teleportation Force Art on this very rooftop.
On top of that, he had to be very careful about using even short distance teleportation in this world. In fact, if he could help it, he would rather not risk it at all.
Leonel had gone out of his way to hide the use of his Divine Armor from prying eyes using that wall of black flames. He hoped he wasn't pushed to the point he had render those efforts useless.
'Then, it seems like the only way to really leave this planet is to build a ship.'
Leonel's cold eyes dimmed, a light chuckle leaving his lips.
He pulled out a talisman and poured his Force into it. He wanted to tell Aina that he was fine. At the very least, he was still close enough that the winds shouldn't interfere too much. He had poured a lot of effort into these talismans just in case.
But soon, Leonel frowned.
'Hm? Are the pillar walls blocking it?'
He really didn't plan on leaving Aina for a long while. At most, he would just take a week or two and then sneak back to Valiant Heart while no one was looking. By then, they could just travel together again. There was nothing stopping him from doing this.
But, if the pillar walls were more sturdy than he thought them to be, he would have to wait until Aina left this world to another place.
'Annoying.'
Leonel shook his head. It made sense this pillar would have such high resistance against Force. After all, it was built to withstand these harsh winds all year. But, that didn't stop him from being ticked off.
It always seemed that everything in this Dimensional Verse was designed to piss him off. He just could never have a moment of peace. And, the small times he did, were all the moments he spent with Aina.
'Forget it. I need to scout out what kind of mines this place has and see what I have to work with. I'm sure there's an elite team that'll be coming after me soon… Let's go.'
Leonel shot forward, vanishing in the wind.
…
At that moment, unbeknownst to Leonel, a talisman lay on Aina's palm.
It could only be said that Leonel's judgment was clouded. He trusted in his own Crafting. He knew at the back of his mind that his level of Force Arts was far beyond what this Pillar could match up to. He knew that his message should have gotten through. He knew that in Aina's current state, she would probably be watching the talisman like a hawk and see it immediately… He knew all of this.
However, he subconsciously ignored it for one very important reason… Because if he accepted the logic of it all, he would also have to accept that Aina had consciously chosen to ignore his call.
Aina had been sitting in a corner of the arena all to her own, her expressions hidden beneath her mask. But, the redness of her gaze couldn't be.
She held the talisman in both palms, watching it like a hawk as Leonel expected her to. When it lit up, she nearly cried out in joy, her tears rushing forth in a new, fresh torrent.
However, just as she reached to respond, her heart froze over.
This fear… How many times would she have to experience it? Time and time again, for as long as she had known Leonel, he was constantly placing himself at risk, doing things she could never agree with for the sake of things she couldn't ever accept.
How many times would her heart drop? How many times would she have to be gripped by panic and anxiety of losing him forever? How much could she take?
Would this be the last time he did this? If he could promise her this was the last time, she would answer right now. She would throw herself into his arms and never let go…
But she knew it wasn't the last time.
Even now, she could see the determination in his eyes… That unwavering will that couldn't be swayed by even her…
The talisman fell from Aina's palms.
She began to cry. It wasn't out of panic or anxiety, but rather because she felt that something inside of her had broken forever. Even as she regretted it and tried to reach out to pull it back, it escaped further and further away. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't undo it.
Her sobs rang louder and louder, her shoulders feeling as though they had returned to their formerly petite frame.