Dimensional Descent

The Demoness looked down at the crystal in her hand. It was so large, it made her eyes narrow. But the slight tremble that came from it was what made her pupils constrict.

Her Dream Force pressed down, suppressing the changes.

High in the skies, the Constellation and Stars of Leonel’s making began to fade, as did the Idol. It was impossible for it to continue to manifest itself like this, not when Leonel was sealed off from the world.

As great as his body was, what good was it when there was nothing left?

It was true that she could have ended this battle whenever she wanted. But she really hadn’t wanted to tap into this strength too early.

Unfortunately, this grandson of hers… he improved too quickly. If she allowed him the chance to continue keeping it close and rapidly rising, he might leach off her trillions of years of training and catch her off guard before she realized it.

The first time he managed to control her Spear Force, she shrugged it off. But it was impossible for her to ignore the second time.

He had proven himself capable of pulling the wool over her eyes time and time again. Truthfully, the very moment he had managed to deduce her plans with the Pluto and Void Race, she should have done exactly this.

But… she had been a bit too stubborn, maybe a little too prideful... maybe a little too sentimental.

Now, though, it no longer mattered.

She hesitated for a moment, looking at the Ethereal Glabella in her palm. After a long while, she shook her head and squeezed.

CRACK.

BANG!

It shattered to pieces.

There was a slight tremble in her pupils, but she brushed the pieces away, letting them flutter to the ground.

”Do what you have to do. Now,” she said coldly.

In that moment, an unexpected pairing appeared. Well, one of them was very much expected; it was the second of them that was truly odd.

Zephyrion, the Emperor of the Invalids, was one. He was a man who had once had a great amount of pride; he had also thought himself equal to the Demoness. But right at that moment, his head was lowered, as though in deference to her presence.

It seemed that whatever superiority he had thought he had had long since been wiped out.

But what was truly odd was that Invalids—even Variant Invalids—shouldn’t be able to display such emotion. They only knew one thing: Destruction.

If a Race of beings wanted nothing more than the end of the world, then how could they fear for their lives? And yet, Zephyrion had his head buried so low that one would have thought he was a cowardly rat.

But once again… it was the second person that was such a surprise.

Talon. The reincarnated genius of the Barbarian Race.

Leonel had learned long ago that Talon was living a second life, having grasped it from his wife—a Ninth Dimensional powerhouse that stood on the same level as the strongest existences across, well… Existence.

Now, Talon stood next to the Invalid Emperor, and was somehow much calmer than he was. At the very least, he wasn’t trembling as though he might piss himself any moment.

In fact, although he didn’t look much different from the last time Leonel had seen him, there was a depth to his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

”There already isn’t much left to do,” Talon said calmly. ”While they’ve been distracted, the Mortal and Demi-God Worlds are no more.”

The Demoness didn’t reply directly, looking up at the Northern Star instead.

If that was the case… why didn’t she sense much of a change?

”It seems… we’ve put too much stress on it through all these iterations…” she said lightly.

If there was one existence that knew of everything that was constantly happening, it was the Northern Star. It was beyond the realms of time and space.

”More,” she eventually spoke again.

”Understood,” Talon replied.

Then he vanished.

Zephyrion lagged behind, not realizing that Talon had already disappeared because his head hung too low and he didn’t dare to reach out with his senses.

By the time he realized what was happening and was ready to leave, the Demoness called out.

”A moment.”

Zephyrion froze.

”Yes?”

”My son and his wife,” she spoke these words without elaboration.

”They’ve already been integrated. They are now one of us,” Zephyrion replied carefully.

There was a ripple in the air as though the Demoness was agitated about something, but then she just nodded.

”Good. Go.”

Zephyrion bowed his head and then vanished.

The Demoness stood there in silence, time frozen all around her. Looking down at the people she could hardly see as anything more than ants, she was eerily calm. Her emotions dispersed through her Dream Force as usual, her mind so large that it was possible to dodge even her own thoughts if she wanted to.

Whether time was frozen or moving, it hardly mattered to her. Wasn’t it all the same?

”Since you’re here, why don’t you show yourself?”

Nilrem stepped out of the shadows, his gaze on the fluttering pieces of Ethereal Glabella still dispersing through the air.

”Are you here to try and convince me again?” she asked.

”I gave up on that a long time ago,” Nilrem replied, still not looking at her.

”Was it after the tenth woman you fucked? Or the millionth?”

Nilrem’s eye twitched.

”I… don’t think the number is that high.”

”It is. In fact, it’s much higher than that.”

”Ophelia—”

”Do not call me by my name. Dare to do that again and your death this time will not be swift. I will make you feel every ounce of pain that I have.”

Nilrem’s mouth opened to reply, gathering the courage to look at the Demoness for the first time.

But the very face he didn’t want to see was there. Cold, distant, so far away that he couldn’t touch her even though he was within arm’s reach.

He exhaled slowly.

”This time, you will lose,” he said lightly.

”Thank you for saying those words,” the Demoness replied as she looked toward Nilrem. ”Now I have all the motivation that I need.”

Nilrem smiled—a genuine, true smile.

”I look forward to the afterlife with you, if there is one. Our grandson is not so easy to defeat.”

The Demoness’s pupils trembled when Nilrem said the word ”our.” Then, in a fit of rage, she slapped out with a palm.

BANG!

Nilrem was no more. Not even flesh, bone, or soul remained.

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