Dimensional Descent

Emperor Fawkes looked toward Leonel deeply, but couldn’t quite read anything on his face. This grandson of his used to be an open book, but after just ten years, he was already so closed off and guarded already. Such was the weight of existence.

“Nothing else to ask me?”

Leonel’s lips curled. “There’s not much to say. My gramps is a useless schmuck who can’t even allow me the leisure of being a useless, second generation, nouveau riche, brat. I hope you feel ashamed.”

Emperor Fawkes was speechless for a moment before he burst into a fit of laughter.

“Look at this guy, having the time of his life,” Leonel shook his head. “At least give me some treasures.”

“What treasures could you possibly need? The Emperor’s Might Lineage is already with you, that’s already the most valuable thing I can give you.”

“If you’re cheap just say so. Who’re you trying to fool?”

“You’re not going to con me out of my wealth, brat. If a man can’t make his own way, what worth does he have.”

“You know, that’s not very progressive of you to say, and quite sexist.”

“If you had your balls snipped, just say that.”

Leonel didn’t even know what to say to that. Wasn’t this supposed to be a dignified Emperor? Now he was talking about his grandson’s balls?

But Emperor Fawkes didn’t seem to care as he stood his feet. His aura was quite imposing, and it was almost too easy for Leonel to forget, most because he didn’t feel any of its pressure. He had no doubt that his grandfather was quite powerful, at the very least powerful enough to set out what he meant to do.

By extension, Emperor Fawkes probably wanted him to go to the Dream Pavilion because it would help the old man in whatever endeavor he was trying to accomplish.

Leonel still didn’t know much about this grandfather of his, but he felt that he understood his personality well enough. He was a ruthless man, one with drive and purpose. There was nothing that could shake his resolve, even that was his very own family. In fact, Leonel had no real certainty, but he was fairly certain that even getting married and having children was no more than a means to an end for Emperor Fawkes.

As for whether that meant his grandfather was an enemy or not, Leonel didn’t really know. At the very least, for now, he wasn’t.

Leonel looked away from his grandfather and toward the tall ceilings of the palace. He guessed that he wanted to see more of the world, and while he was at it… he would conveniently destroy all those that had forced the hand of his father.

The Dream Pavilion was the best chance of him surviving? So what? King might be dead, but he didn’t believe for a moment that he was the only one responsible.

The Godlens were on the side of good? So what? Who knew what they had done for the “greater good”, how many sacrifices they had allowed, how many good people they had allowed to fall, all for the sake of their own visions?

The Four Great Families weren’t to be trusted? Good enough, he would just make it so that no one could make that mistake again.

As for the Cult, that grandmother of his would get what was coming to her. It might not be in a year, it might not even be in ten, or a hundred, but one day he would look down with that same, sick, twisted smile as she watched her efforts be wasted.

Leonel looked back down to find that his grandfather was standing right before him, barely two feet.

He realized that his grandfather was actually quite tall, an inch taller than even himself who was already 6’9″, and yet he didn’t emit that sort of perception until it was too late.

A finger tapped Leonel’s forehead before he could react and a bomb seemed to go off within him.

His mind went entirely blank.

When Leonel regained his senses, he found himself standing in a bubble. Outside the bubble, there was nothing but a vast blackness, until there wasn’t. One after another, more bubbles began to appear, each one with a different person within.

‘What the hell happened?’

Leonel felt that he had lost several hours of time. His Ability Index was sharp, and his comprehension of his body was great. Just by checking the energy levels of his cells, he could tell how long he had been unconscious. It was more than half a day.

As for where he was, he thought he had a pretty good guess as well. This place was the selection. The event had begun already and he didn’t even have time to properly prepare.

He looked down at himself and he was wearing the same clothing. His finger still had Anastasia on it, at least, which was the first sign of good news. But even so, just what had happened? What did that old man do to him?

‘Hm?’

Leonel’s body timer clicked again.

This time, it wasn’t that the time was too long, but rather the exact opposite. How had he gone through so many thoughts and scenarios in such a short time? His speed of thought was almost three times faster than he remembered it being.

Inside his body, he even felt like there was another realm within. Inside, there was a man in a lack of blood, surrounded by broken chains. And yet, he was moving at all.

‘What the he…’

Leonel’s thoughts were cut off again as his bubble began to move with lightning quickness, rushing through the bounds of reality alongside the others near him until they all suddenly popped at once and they were flung through the stars.

‘Is it that?’ Leonel thought.

Aina had mentioned his father had a seal of sorts on his mind, had his grandfather lifted it? Or was it something else?

‘Shit.’

Leonel found himself tumbling through the skies, but worse than that, looking down at himself, he was truly at a loss for words as those that fell from the popped bubbles alongside him suddenly began to charge up their attacks.

Why was he in the Fifth Dimension again?