"How dare you?!"
Both brothers roared. This time, even Talon's skinny uncle couldn't withhold his fury. He felt that he was going to explode just the same.
But Leonel stood tall and proud. His spear was slightly pointed toward the ground, his gaze carrying the weight of an entire universe.
"Show me what a Demi-God is capable of."
BANG! BANG!
Leonel pierced out twice, and the two brothers hurried to block. Their power multiplied atop of one another and a shield of Earth Force took shape.
However, to their surprise, the sharp air of Leonel's spear spun and twisted, pulling their Earth Force into a spiral and stripping it of its strength.
Their expressions changed, and they hurried to retreat even further.
A line of blood formed on both of their forearms, their arms trembling.
"How was that?" Leonel asked, looking back at Aina.
"It was alright."
"Just alright?"
Aina smiled sweetly. "9.63 out of 10."
"Ah, a generous score."
"I'm giving you a handicap."
"Why's that?"
"My bed's a bit cold."
Leonel's pupils constricted, and something moved beneath his waistline. He hurriedly looked away, beginning a familiar chant.
"... Cradle robbing Ancestors!"
Leonel and the Barbarian Race men clashed once again.
A hearty laughter filled the skies as Leonel's spear danced and Aina's marks became higher and higher.
The twins had long since realized that they had to take this battle seriously, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't seem to bridge the gap.
Leonel didn't seem to be using any Forces at all, yet he suppressed them from every feel and angle. It was so natural that...
"Creation!"
The two roared at once, the realization shattering their world view.
The Creation State wasn't just a level of stronger Force Manipulation, it was a complete change of state. The Creation State was located in the First Dimension, a Realm even Regulators could not touch.
Someone with a Force of this level could feel and see all things. Someone with a Dream Force of this level...
Was an untouchable monster.
Fear gripped their hearts, and their arms trembled.
"Calm down."
The skinny Barbarian spoke first.
"Haven't you noticed? Do you think he's barely managed to harm us because he's really toying with us? Isn't it obvious that he can't?"
Leonel looked over from teasing Aina. "Sending secret messages? Do you think that's possible?
"Sure. I can tell you quite boldly. It's my Dream Force that broke into the Creation State first, so my offensive power isn't as great as my combat skill."
Hearing Leonel boldly admit this, they shivered. But the fact he could hear their secret communication was even more shocking.
Creation State Dream Force... truly, only such a thing could exhibit such strength.
Leonel tapped his spear at the air and ripples spread. It looked like Leonel was playing around with reality, the fundamental laws of the world being pulled and twisted around his spear.
"So, feel better?" Leonel asked with a smile. "I can't harm you. So why aren't you attacking yet?"
The burly Barbarian could hardly take it anymore and was about to rush forward, but his brother stopped him once again.
"What do you want?"
Leonel blinked, as though confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"I know you're trying to get something out of this. Is there a need to beat around the bush anymore?"
Leonel smiled. "I thought I was just stalling."
"You've proven your power. That's enough."
Leonel chuckled. "Honestly, I'm not really that interested in talking with the two of you. You're unable to decide anything."
The skinny Barbarian's eyes narrowed.
He wanted to say that Leonel was overestimating himself... but was he?
At this point, he was only weaker than the Ancestors of their Race. Maybe only a handful of elders and true geniuses could bring out his full strength.
The worst part was that geniuses like Talon clearly weren't enough. Not only did they have to be geniuses on the level of Talon, but they would have to at least be in the Eighth Dimension.
This was all too suffocating.
This didn't even make logical sense, and yet the reality was right before them. If they still refused to accept it, they would simply be too ignorant.
"... No matter how talented you are, it is just you. You cannot expect to speak as equals. Our deaths will not change anything."
"Just me?" Leonel blinked. "Wife!"
Leonel looked back toward Aina and she took a step forward.
BANG!
In that instant, both twins erupted in a rain of blood. It was so devastating that even Leonel thought for a moment that Aina had killed him. But he dismissed the thought because he knew that Aina wouldn't make such a mistake.
Soon, the mist of blood cleared, and the two men appeared, shaking. There wasn't a single inch of their bodies that wasn't injured. It looked as though their skin had been cut up into ribbons.
Blood Sovereign!
Leonel blinked, not having expected this either. Aina had never been able to control the blood in the bodies of others before.
The moment he had this thought, he found that a certain something was moving beneath his waist.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Leonel called out. "Are you trying to embarrass your husband?!"
Aina appeared by Leonel's side in a fragrant breeze. She clasped her hands behind her back and almost cutely looked downward, a charming smile on her lips.
Leonel covered his crotch. "Behave."
Aina giggled and let Leonel go. She knew that if Leonel wanted, stopping her would be easy. Didn't he, too, have a Creation State Force? In fact, it was one that happened to synergize with his Control Ability Index, which granted him perfect dominion over his mind and body.
"Understand now?" Leonel asked with a smile.
"Indeed."
The sudden voice made Leonel's eyes narrow, but his smile didn't vanish. This person wasn't here at all. Rather, only their voice and presence were.
When one had a Creation State voice, distance was almost meaningless, so long as you had something to lock onto. The First Dimension was inappropriately described as the simplest of the Dimensions in Earth's physics, but this wasn't entirely wrong either.
It was the simplest, but that was because it could hold the whole of Existence in a single dot without latitude or longitude.
In the First Dimension, distance was meaningless.
If not for the limitations of his body, Leonel could certainly project his mind to anywhere in Existence he so pleased. This was the power of the Creation State.
But even though he couldn't, that didn't mean that he feared this person. Since he dared to act, he also dared to execute. And now that he had a Creation State Dream Force, he didn't fear anyone beneath the God Realm finding his location if he didn't want them to.
"You must be Annalysia." Leonel said.
"... It's been a long time since a junior has dared to call me by my name."
"I heard that you're quite fond of juniors, though," Leonel blinked innocently as though he didn't understand he was insulting her.
The two Barbarians were flushed in cold sweat, holding that Annalysia didn't assume it was they who gave him this information.
"You've misunderstood," Annalysia said calmly. "My husband's reincarnation could hardly be considered robbing the cradle, now could it?"
The two Barbarians were even more shocked. They wanted to call out and ask Annalysia why she was telling an outsider this, but did they dare to question this woman?
"Well, there could be much philosophical debate about that one," Leonel said with a chuckle.
"Oh? Do tell."
"It's just human race trivialities," Leonel said with a wave of a hand. "When society grows too peaceful, people love to debate worthless matters."
"Now I am even more interested," Annalysia said with a chuckle.
"Well, alright." Leonel obliged. "If Talon is truly your husband's reincarnation, is he considered the same person or a different person now? Is a person their memories? Their souls? The sum of their experiences? Just their bodies?
"Even if he was your husband in a past life, should he still be considered your husband now? Is he even his own person anymore if you've already forced an old identity onto him? Have you not ruined the point of his reincarnation?"
The two Barbarian Race men held their breath, trying to pretend like they weren't thinking about what Leonel was saying.
After a while, Annalysia chuckled.
"Talon did say that you were quite annoying. I don't believe that you care very much about this at all. You're only doing so to attack my mind. I have to say, your open schemes are quite conniving because they work.
"You are a diligent young man with a bright future ahead of you. You are arrogant, but it seems to be quite warranted. I have to say that I am greatly impressed by you.
"But, you have still overplayed your hand. I wonder what the world would think once they realize you're the one who triggered a war of Gods and Demi-Gods?"
Leonel's pupils constricted into pinholes.