Chapter 2162: Valiance

Leonel looked Anya in the eyes, his flaming arm burning through her chest.

Her mouth opened slightly, but nothing other than a puff of black smoke came out. All of her arrogance, all of her condescension, all of the prim and proper words she had spoken, vanished into the wind along with the ashes of her body.

Just because Leonel hadn't used elaborate illusions before, didn't mean he was incapable of it, it just meant that he couldn't be bothered to waste his Dream Force on her. But since she wanted to continue to push and push, speaking as though she was on the same level as him, above him, even, he chose that there was nothing more to do than to properly put her in her place... Forever.

Assimilation worked very specifically. It was best used with souls, but if Leonel wanted to use it on himself, there were restrictions, namely he had to be compatible with what he was Assimilating to receive the best possible results. This didn't mean that he couldn't Assimilate certain things, but rather that doing so would weaken them a large measure.

For example, when he Assimilated Lionel, the results were immediate and extremely powerful. But when he Assimilated the Force canceling Savant, it was much weaker, so much so that he had to be in direct contact with Anya's spear to dispel its strength.

These restrictions were far lesser when he used them on actual souls, but he clearly wasn't a soul, he also had a body to filter things through. This was another reason why having a fully separated soul was such an advantage, it gave one the purest chances to be powerful.

This aside, the combination of an illusion and Leonel's attack was far too much for Anya to handle. The moment he got into her range, her strength was meaningless. Everything his fist contacted dispelled her Force. She didn't even have a chance to protect herself.

When he looked toward the Scholars this time, their reactions were fierce. This was exactly what he wanted to see.

Clearly, they had known that Anya and Harmony were truly just a single person. This was none other than Anya's Ability Index, an interesting method of cheating death. However, this death right here was the truest death... There was simply no coming back.

"Rise." Leonel said coldly.

Anya's ashes had barely dispersed when they were suddenly ripped out of the air, a powerful torrent of violet Force rising as she took shape once again.

A valiant soul of a beauty untouched by blemishes appeared, donning a Valkyrie-like armor that seemed to be the only like in the skies.

"My King!" Anya's voice bellowed as she took a knee in the skies, her face filled with reverence. Every ounce of her holier than thou attitude had vanished, replaced by an undying loyalty to battle by Leonel's side until she drew her last breath.

Leonel reacted coldly, looking down on Anya without a word as his flames flickered around his body. Even so, Anya didn't dare to look up, waiting for Leonel's motion to rise. Leonel, however, had his eyes set on the battle in the skies, even the Scholars didn't seem to be worth his attention.

His father stood amidst a tide of enemies, his aura valiant and not weak in the slightest. He hadn't suffered even a single injury, but the armor of the Silver Emperor was beaten and broken, the four members of the Great Families all had blood trickling down the corner of their lips, and the Emperors of the various Races were in an even sorrier state, many of them missing limbs.

Even against so many, he seemed to be in a league of his own, using nothing other than fists to crush all that were in his path.

His laughter rang through the skies, his clothes without a single wrinkle and even his glasses remaining firmly upon his nose as though he was leisurely reading as opposed to fighting a battle to decide the fate of the very Human Domain.

However, this sort of scene only made Leonel feel more agitated. Despite getting beaten back again and again, these people didn't show any signs of retreat, even the arrogant Imperatress Anselma had simply fallen into silence, not saying a word.

Leonel didn't know where this uncomfortable feeling was coming from. He simply wanted the world to burn to the ground.

It was then that it happened.

The skies split, a spear appearing for just a moment.

The instant it did, it had already begun to collapse. It was clear that the laws of this world didn't allow it to exist, but the residual Force that came with it didn't show any signs of slowing, the lag of the Regulator unable to keep up with its speed.

Velasco looked into the skies instantly, a wild grin on his face. He seemed to have expected this, his body glowing with a radiant bronze light.

He grabbed out with one hand, a spear appearing. With the other, a gauntlet formed swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, an armor of silver, gold and black took shape. Even without the imaging ability of the Ancestor Hito, this armor was projected all across the Dimensional Verse as though it was a constellation all to its own.

The moment before Velasco's helmet took shape and his visor snapped down, whether by coincidence or not, he looked down at his son, a look that Leonel had never seen in his life appearing in that moment.

It was a gaze filled with pride, but this pride wasn't for himself like it usually was. Rather, it was a pride in his Seed, in his son, his own flesh and blood.

It was only an instant, but Velasco knew that Leonel had seen it.

"This spear is for my father," Velasco said in a voice filled with unprecedented calm.

His aura soared.

Leonel's expression changed, his mind working too fast.

That aura, it surpassed the Eighth Dimension, it surpassed the state that the Regulator felt was tolerable.

Velasco pierced out, the stroke of his blade more beautiful than anything Leonel had ever seen in his life.

The descending Force was torn to shreds, but Velasco's Spear Force continued, piercing through the veil of the skies and tearing toward the one that had attacked.

A roar of pain echoed. It didn't sound human. It didn't sound demonic. It didn't even sound like it had come from the living.

Golden blood flowed from the skies, dyeing reality in a sheen of death.

The instant this blade fell, Velasco raised his head and laughed to the skies.

One after another, black chains descended, slapping against his armor and cracking it. A second fell and his armor shattered completely. A third fell and his flesh and bone were nearly torn to pieces.

It was then that Leonel understood. His father didn't have the same protections against the Regulator that the Four Great Families did, and how could he? The Four Great Families were the ones that had created this world, his father was meant to be just another one of their pawns, a pawn that had broken free of their control... Until now.

When the final chain fell, Velasco's spear shattered as well, but his laughter didn't stop.

Coated in blood, covered in chains, he raised his hand with the last of his strength.

"Son, watch closely."

He gripped his fist, and another spear appeared. Although much weaker than his first, it shone with a radiance no fainter beneath his valiance.

Erdiul's Note: Nah bro....Awespec ain't about to do what I think he's about to do...Nah bro...Nah...