Aina sat in silent meditation, her aura in perfect balance. She took deep breaths, controlling her inhale and exhale in cycles that lasted sometimes up to several minutes.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes just as there was a light knock to her and Leonel's room.
"Yes, you can enter."
Savahn came in with a worried expression on her face, one that actually caused Aina to laugh slightly.
"What is it?"
Savahn was speechless. "Why are you laughing, this is serious."
"I don't know, this is just the first time in a while I've seen anything but a smile on your face, I found it interesting."
Savahn blushed, seemingly understanding what Aina was getting at. But then she remembered that she wasn't entirely without ammo in this conversation.
"You're one to talk, I can still smell it in the air."
Aina suddenly panicked. "Smell? What smell?!"
Aina's head snapped around before she froze. This time, it was her turn to blush. There was no smell, clearly Savahn was just making fun of her and had won this round.
Savahn's laughter echoed like a silver bell. She was very used to Aina's shyness and she used to have all sorts of fun making fun of her. After the Metamorphosis, she had thought that maybe all their previous interactions had all been an act, but by now, she knew that it wasn't that the Aina she had known was fake, it was only that it was just one dimension of who she was. That Aina was just as real as this one.
Aina rolled her eyes and coughed slightly, trying to clear her embarrassment.
"Didn't you come here for something important? Look at you making fun of me, I'm innocent."
"Yeah, sure," Savahn laughed, "about as innocent as a death row inmate."
Seeing that Aina was too flustered to respond, Savahn graciously took her victory and remembered that she had indeed come for something quite serious.
"They've attacked and according to the news... Hutch has died already by... the hands of his grandson."
Aina fell into silence. She knew that Hutch was quite important to Leonel although she had never interacted much with the man personally. Even so, it was impossible for her not to feel anything simply for the fact that Leonel had always seen him as a mentor.
That said, before he had left, Leonel had known that this was a distinct possibility. No parent wanted to end their child's life, and there was definitely no grandparent who wanted their grandchild's life. However, Hutch had been unlucky in two ways, he had not only outlived his children, but he was faced with trouble of standing in opposition to his grandson.
It was simply impossible for him to survive both, so even without being there, Leonel knew that Hutch would choose to die rather than make such a voice. It didn't matter to him that Leonel had warned him, it didn't matter to him that there was a path to survive...
Hutch had always felt that this era had passed him by. Despite his talent, he never really felt the same passion he had in his youth, and maybe that was because he had simply lost too much...
Even so, regardless of whether this was his choice or not, Aina knew that Leonel would take it quite hard.
"What should we do?" Savahn asked.
Aina took a deep breath and exhaled. "Nothing. Now isn't the time yet."
Savahn's gaze flickered. "Even with the capital being burned down?"
Aina shook her head and smiled bitterly. She couldn't repeat what Leonel had said before he left. Her thoughts flashed and she remembered that annoying smirk on his face.
Let that old man sweat a bit... is what he had said. That man was really too much. This was an existential crisis, but he could only see his beef with his own grandfather.
Of course, Aina knew the real Leonel. More likely than not, it was something that he was too lazy to explain. If he could stop the unnecessary deaths, he would, but he wasn't some sort of God. There was a limit to what he could predict and prepare for.
At the same time, there was definitely something tying Emperor Fawkes' hands, likely the same thing tying down the four Great Families. It didn't make sense if only one side faced restrictions while the other side didn't.
If Emperor Fawkes could wave a hand and deal with everything, he would have. As such, there was a certain delicate approach that was necessary.
"Alright, in that case, we'll be on standby," Savahn nodded. She turned to leave but hesitated for a moment. "If you need anything, I'm here to talk."
Savahn didn't say anything else as she left. She knew quite well that of them all, the one having the most trouble waiting patiently for the right time was Aina herself. There was nothing she wanted more than to unleash unholy hell on the Brazingers and their allies, but right now, she had to exercise patience. In that case, this was the only option.
Aina smiled lightly as Savahn left. Though she didn't say anything more either, the appreciation was clear in her eyes.
Soon... Soon she would make that family pay in blood for what they had done to her family... her mother.
**
Leonel clashed against an enemy spear, and slipped to the side. He activated Knight's Charge and slid past the enemy's left.
With a twirl of his spear, the heavy butt of the lance spear smashed into the Rapax's shoulder blade, throwing it off balance and causing its tail swing to miss and soar over Leonel's head.
"Swift..." Leonel said softly.
His feet pivoted and the tip of his lance spear trembled, not feeling nearly as heavy as it once did.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
He pierced through space through three locations. At the same time, time layered as well, staking three strikes at each one of the three locations and piercing right through the Rapax's vital points.
The enemy Rapax slowly fell to the ground, unable to battle even as Leonel snatched away his spear, exhaling a slow breath.
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