Dimensional Descent

Seemingly feeling Leonel's battle intent, the Rapax howled, billowing steam jetting out from its pores and causing its silver natural armor to tinge with red.

With a step, it immediately tore through the tendrils that Leonel had blanketed the forest in. But, just as quickly as it did so, more swarmed to replace them.

Leonel reached to his back. Tapping Aina with the finger glove form of the Segmented Cube, he sent her inside. He wasn't sure if he could trust himself to not harm her with what he was about to do.

His hair billowed in the wind, his body crouching atop a branch as the Rapax barreled toward him. The Spear Domain crown glowed a brighter and brighter shade of gold above his forehead, pulsing strands of bronze, violet and crimson jetting out from his body.

Leonel's body erupted with flames, his body becoming enveloped by a smoldering heat that clashed and fought against the oppressive cold of his Dark Ice Armor.

Releasing a steamy breath, his irises were almost completely taken over by a red-gold.

'Destruction.'

Leonel vanished. Almost the instant he did, the branch he had just been standing up crumbled to nothing more than ash.

When he appeared again, his spear was nowhere to be seen, but his fist was not to be denied, flashing before the chest of the Rapax like a falling meteor.

"SKREEE!"

CLANG!

The Rapax's tail lashed out, slapping Leonel's fist away with its blade. However, in a clash of metal on metal, they both rebounded against one another.

The Rapax's tail whipped backward to prepare for another strike even as it raised its leg to kick out at the retreating Leonel. However, it found its progress hindered by numerous tendrils of darkness. At the same time, Leonel had already smashed a foot into the ground, stopping his backward progress and shooting forward like a blazing star.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Having lost its balance due to the entanglement of its tail, the Rapax could only use its arms and one knee to block Leonel's torrent of punches. However, there was something different about these compared to Leonel's previous strikes…

They hurt.

The Rapax was pushed backward, but it found its retreat slowed by Leonel's Dark Ice Domain.

With quick strikes, Leonel tapped at the air three times. Violent slashing arcs of fire infused Spear Force jetted outward, aiming perfectly for the joints of the Rapax which remained unprotected by its natural armor.

Leonel's fighting style remained fluid, filled with pace and a relentless pursuit. It was clear that the improvements he had gained to his spearmanship had followed his overall Style, giving his every action an air of purpose, calculation and wisdom.

"SKKREEEE!"

The Rapax shrieked, greenish blue blood flying as its tough skin was cut into.

However, Leonel was completely unsatisfied with this result. His Spear Force layered with Radiant Force on top of his comprehensions of Destruction had only caused so little damage? He wanted more. He needed to see more blood.

The joints of Leonel's Dark Ice Armor erupted with billowing flames. If it wasn't for the fact his head was covered by a helmet and a visor, it would have been possible to see that it wasn't just it that had been bathed in fire. Leonel's eyebrows, his hair, even the corner of his mouth shot out with flickering silver-red flames, looking every bit the part of a demon risen from hell.

In that moment, even the tendrils of darkness suddenly gained a wild fire rushing through them, the shards of broken space that hung in the air reflecting gorgeous violet lights.

Everywhere the Rapax tried to step and move, it found itself swarmed by corrosive flames from all sides. As its injuries grew, the effect of the heat on it only grew, its shrieking only becoming more and more prominent.

Leonel was relentless.

He took a heavy step forward, blocking a strong leg kick of the Radax with two forearms. He planted a foot hard and sent his other sweeping at the side of the Rapax's planted knee.

BANG!

Almost instantly, the Rapax buckled. It reached out with its tail to pierce the ground for balance, but it was once again thwarted by the endless tendrils of darkness laced about the trees around him.

Leonel took another heavy step forward, taking advantage o the Rapax's lost momentum to send out a strong punch to its chest.

BANG!

The Rapax fell back slamming heavily to the ground and falling through a swath of flame laced dark tendrils. It suddenly found its body completely encased from all sides. It had been able to snap one, two and even ten tendrils easily. But, what about hundreds? What about thousands?

"SKREEEE!!!"

Even fallen, the Rapax's lethal claws whipped out at Leonel, its long legs still seeking out the kill. However, without proper leverage, the strength behind it was at best a tenth of its peak.

With a savage Spear Force laced swipe downward, Leonel clashed with the upward swinging claw, smashing them right back into the ground and leaping atop the tied down Rapax.

Leonel's gaze blazed, his palm rising into the air.

An enormous Radiant Core formed. But, this time, it was laced with a destructive will.

BANG!

Leonel's armor expanded by a size before shrinking, numerous tiny cracks spreading across its surface before rapidly healing. An implosion of Universal Force and a sudden change to his body fueled it all, a spontaneous rise in energy almost spinning out of his control.

In that moment, Leonel only had one thought… That everything should revolve around him… His blade, his enemy's life and death, the world… Everything was in the palm of his hand. Let alone a mere foot soldier, even the King of Rapax wouldn't stop his momentum forward.

He was a Star.

The feeling of the Heavenly Body Realm's comprehension enveloped Leonel from all sides, fueling a spinning drill of Spear Force.

"Die."

SHUUUU! TSSSSS! BOOM!

Leonel raised his head up to the skies, releasing a roar that traveled dozens of miles.