The arrow embodied the word. It didn't have to fold space or shatter its way into the void. It was speed in its truest essence, velocity in its sharpest definition.
It moved so quickly that it truly did seem to do all of those things, and yet both Leonel and Minerva, with their sharp Dream Force, knew that this wasn't the case at all.
There was no curve, no tricks, no distortions. It felt like it was ancient in its creed and almost arrogant in its directness.
And in that instant, it pierced right through Minerva's body, ripping into her chest before she could even think to move to the side.
TTTSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUU!
The sound came long afterward, a grating noise that made it feel as though the air was a pot and the arrow was a fork scraping along its bottom. The arrow seemed to have forced the world into submission, forcing it to remain steady to allow it to display its mighty speed, and it was only then that a trail of fire and fragmented space appeared in its wake.
It was faster than even the world could react to.
It was the embodiment of true, unbridled, unabashed speed.
And it was because of that it ripped through Minerva's body before she even felt anything.
She stood there, frozen, still wondering what had happened. Like a person who had been shot but had yet to realize because of the adrenaline, she stood there stunned.
Her senses told her what had happened, but she still didn't dare to believe it.
On the other side of the battlefield, Leonel was stunned as well, but for a completely different reason.
'I missed?'Gét latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om
The arrow had certainly ripped through Minerva's body, but not in the location he was aiming for. It missed her heart and went right through her lung, just centimeters from his intended target.
Someone else might feel it was just unfortunate, but for Leonel... this left him shocked to the point he lacked the words to describe them.
If it wasn't for the situation, he wouldn't have laughed at himself.
However, just when he thought he was going to have to burst into action on another long, drawn-out round of this battle, Minerva violently coughed up mouthfuls of blood, her body shuddering.
Leonel watched this in silence and almost couldn't help but laugh at himself again.
He had missed, sure... but it was only by a few centimeters.
For him, this was a devastating matter and entirely unacceptable. He had exceptionally high standards for himself, and he had projected his perceived failure onto the battle.
However, was it the same for Minerva?
The strength of Leonel's normal arrows could already shatter worlds. If he was in an Incomplete World, a single one of his arrows could probably run through a gauntlet of planets and shatter their star in one sweep, eradicating a solar system. Every single one of his arrows ripped and tore open space...
So how could his arrow pass through the body of a person and leave them unscathed?
Whatever carnage this Bubble World had to suffer every time he released an arrow, wouldn't Minerva also have to suffer just the same? Except this time... it was within her own body, and so close to her heart at that.
Even though she wasn't dead like Leonel wanted, she was probably in no fighting condition. And unfortunately for her, the healing method she had as a trump card had been used on Leonel and had yet to replenish itself.
It could be said that she had lifted a mountain, only to drop it onto her own foot. But that was her pride.
Looking at her, Leonel couldn't help but remember himself.
If he hadn't changed his Dream Force Path, would he have ended up like this?
Maybe he wouldn't have experienced personal failure, but wouldn't the death of his friends and family be another sort of heartbreak?
Leonel's pupils suddenly constricted as a figure appeared by Minerva's side.