Coyote was stunned. It was only after he registered that this eerie voice he was listening to now was Leonel's that he understood that he had failed.
However, he couldn't wrap his mind around how he had. His spear had very clearly entered Leonel's body even to the middle of its polearm. How could Leonel possible be fine?
At that moment, Coyote suddenly felt that something was wrong. Though the shaft of his spear had disappeared, he didn't feel the resistance he should after driving his spear through someone.
'… My… my spear…'
Coyote was stunned.
His spear, its tip had completely crumbled. In fact, even the portion he hadn't tried to drive into Leonel's body began to break down, crumbling into ash before his very eyes.
Leonel turned his head back to watch this scene indifferently. It was clear that this was exactly what he expected to happen. To try and use a spear against the owner of the Spear Domain ring was practically asking for death.
Any spear not acknowledged by the ring on Leonel's finger would crumble beneath its influence. Clearly, Coyote hadn't met these lofty goals so he was destined for failure the moment he stepped forward.
Coyote couldn't even react before he felt a blade go through his throat. He was simply too close to Leonel and he had suddenly found himself without a weapon. Why would Leonel give him a chance to recover and escape? He had already flipped his palm and swapped out his spear for an arrow.
Coyote could only die with grievances, having no idea how he had ended up in such a situation.
Arthur and Mordred looked toward Leonel with shock, not understanding what they were seeing either. However, Leonel didn't have the time to mind their reactions. He had already turned his attention back toward Aliard and his companions.
As expected, the moment Coyote died, their supposedly dire straits had completely flipped. They stood in the midst of the beast tide, coldly locking eyes with Leonel.
Leonel couldn't help but shake his head.
'These people are so cunning and they have no sense of shame. It's as though they put their mission above their pride and dignity. They would rather feign weakness for a chance at easily completing this mission by killing me rather than having an upfront battle.'
Though it couldn't be said that they were suddenly having an easy time with the beast tide, they were most definitely not on the edge of death as they had made it seem previously. Such a sight made Leonel several points more serious. Just what were they planning now?
"Margrave." Aliard said coldly.
"Yes."
In that moment, Margrave's aura completely changed. From one of the holiest, sanctimonious light, it became a boundless darkeness, competing even with the vast black clouds in the sky above.
Leonel wasn't as shocked by this change as compared to others. Thanks to the fourth trial, he had already seen Pope Margrave use Dark Elemental magic. However, even he couldn't expect what would happen next.
A black pearl appeared in Margrave's hand. He lightly tossed it into the air, causing it to burst apart.
This bursting action wasn't an attack, but rather a sort of release, unchaining what was slumbering within. And, when Leonel saw exactly what had been within the pearl, he couldn't help but suck in a cold breath.
There were five individuals in total. All of them had the dull white eyes of Invalids, but Leonel knew that they hadn't always been like this because he recognized each and every one of them.
They were the members of the Aliard family, Little Nana's family!
Leonel's expression changed. If this was the case?
His head snapped toward the Segmented Cube in the distance. From the start, Leonel had veered the battle away from it in order to protect Little Nana. However, if Little Nana's family was being treated like this, the possibility for what could have happened to Little Nana was endless.
"Come here!"
Leonel panicked slightly, but he called out as a last resort. He had never tried to command the Segmented Cube before, but he knew that it was a treasure that had to have its own intelligence even if it was somewhat dormant now. If that wasn't the case, how had it acted on its own to take the octopus corpse before? Or what about when it acted on its own to take the corpse of the naked sniper he crossed paths with after leaving the Fort?
Aliard's gaze flashed seeing Leonel's panic.
"Do it." He said calmly.
Before, Aliard had been apprehensive. He didn't know what kind of treasure the Segmented Cube was so he had no idea what might happen if he tried to execute his contingency plan with it acting as a barrier. However, Leonel's panic seemed to put him at ease.
Margrave acted on Aliard's orders almost immediately, sinking into the ground like a shadow. When he reappeared, he had already left the scope of the beast tide, standing before the Segmented Cube.
Leonel's panic grew. The Segmented Cube actually didn't listen to his command.
Could it be that he was wrong about it having intelligence? Could it be that it couldn't hear him? Was there another reason?
Leonel's mind spun.
He didn't believe for a moment that the Pope hadn't done anything to Little Nana. Judging by the methods of these people, they wouldn't go easy on her just because she was young. After all, even the two year old Mordred hadn't been spared. The only reason why Leonel could trust having Mordred by his side was because he had been there for every one of her so-called 'treatments'.
Leonel's mind spun as he forced himself to calm down.
'Think… think…!'
The defenses of the Segmented Cube weren't infallible. Leonel knew this truth first hand. Back when he awakened his Metal Synergy Lineage Factor, he managed to blast a hole right through it. He didn't believe that it could protect itself against an assault from Margrave.
Margrave gathered his strength, the darkness around him surging endlessly. Leonel diverted a portion of the beast tide toward him, but he already knew it would be too late to make it.
Leonel's gaze suddenly trembled.
"Place any lifeforms into Suspended Animation!" His roar shot across the battlefield.
At that moment, the Segmented Cube finally reacted.
It spun in place, suddenly shrinking and dodging Margrave's palm. It then shot across the battlefield at an almost impossible to track speed, reaching Leonel in the blink of an eye.
It was only after the Segmented Cube landed in Leonel's hand that he finally sighed a breath of relief. However, in the next instant, he felt a surge of anger.
These people were really damnable. Not even letting a little girl go.
Leonel didn't know Little Nana well, but she had already saved his life once. If for nothing other than this favor, he wouldn't let anything happen to her.
Beneath his rage, his aura seemed to surge, his violet eyes gaining a slight touch of red.
Aliard slightly frowned at the failure, but it was only that.
Looking toward Leonel's rage, he couldn't help but sneer. This boy dared to have such an expression before him?!
Aliard stretched out a hand. He had already decided. He would crush this boy with absolute strength and wipe that arrogance between his brow away.
It seemed that they had taken his will to end this as easily as possible as a sign of weakness. They would pay dearly for this.
His hand continued to raise.
At that moment, most of the beast tide was blocked by the five Aliard family puppets Margrave had taken out. But, what Aliard did next would make them nearly obsolete.
"Bind." He spoke coldly.
It was then that it happened. Dozens of beasts were grinded to a halt beneath the might of a single word.
Leonel's eyes widened.
That ability.. It was Little Nana's.