196 SYSTEM'S FAVORITE
"Having some fucking fun", he replied.
Lord Kabana's mouth tightened as if he wanted to speak, but Hanna subtly gestured for him to stay silent. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the other guests and their guards, sending them back to their quarters.
The party was abruptly over.
Once the hall was empty, Kabana turned to Leo, his expression hard. "Who are you? Why have you come here to cause trouble? Did Zeru plan this?"
Leo leaned back in his chair, his tone dripping with arrogance. "Your worthless nephew challenged me to a fight, offering a box of pathetic silver. What did you expect me to do? Its rude to refuse free money."
"That doesn't justify crippling him," Kabana retorted.
Leo smirked, gesturing toward the shadows where archers had been stationed. "Your soldiers wounded him. They shot at him from the corners hiding like fucking cowards. Blame them for his shit. Don't blame me."
The snipers, still in position, stiffened under his pointed accusation.
Lord Kabana's eyes narrowed as he assessed Leo. "I didn't expect the Governor to send a high-tier mage to escort the little princess."
Leo's gaze remained cold. "The name is Lilleo Gullee."
At the mention of this, a ripple of unease swept through the room. Whispers rose among Kabana's retainers. "The Demon of Gullee? Could it be him?"
Even though Eoloth was isolated from the outside, they received news from Sodom city. Leo's reputation preceded him.
Leo's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "You're correct. I am Lilleo Gullee, though some prefer to call me the Demon of Gullee. Their choice not mine."
Shock and horror flashed across their faces.
"What do you want from us?" Lord Kabana asked cautiously.
Leo shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm here to escort Siphonia for the bride selection, nothing more."
"No," a voice growled from the shadows. "You came to make trouble."
A tall figure stepped forward. It was Rabama. His presence radiated confidence and menace.
"Rabama," Hanna said sharply. "You know the rules. You're not to meet the selection brides before the ceremony."
Leo's smirk deepened. "Finally, Rabama, you decided to show up."
Rabama sneered. "Fuck with the rules. It is obvious this Demon of Gullee came to make trouble."
Siphonia glanced at him, startled. "You were waiting for Rabama to show up?"
Leo ignored her, his focus on Rabama. "How about a fight? A real fight this time."
Rabama cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his face. "Why not? I've been itching for a good one. I've heard your name for a very long time. It's about fucking time I get to fight with a demon."
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[Arena of Eoloth Fortress]
Rabama hovered above the arena, the Eoloth family's practice ground, bathed in the silver glow of the moon.
The entire Eoloth family had gathered, their attention fixed on the duel unfolding below. Guards lined the perimeter, crossbows drawn. Tension was high.
The arena was as much a trap as it was a stage—one misstep, and the arrows would descend upon Leo without hesitation. Fairness was a foreign concept here.
Not that Leo had expected fairness. He rarely dealt fairness himself.
Rabama descended into the arena, twin claws of shimmering magical energy forming in his hands. With a burst of speed, he charged, his claws slicing the air with lethal precision.
Leo met him head-on, dragon talons of his own blazing under the moonlight. The metallic clash echoed through the arena as the two fighters exchanged a flurry of strikes.
Rabama, a Tier 8 Svad Cakra mage, was hailed as a prodigy among Sodom's elite. His prowess and speed were unmatched—until now.
"You live up to your title, demon," Rabama said through gritted teeth, his voice taut with exertion.
"And you're no slouch either," Leo replied smoothly. "Want me to teach you how to really be a demon?"
Rabama snarled, launching a ferocious series of slashes. His claws missed by a hair's breadth, each failed attack leaving him vulnerable. Leo countered with ruthless efficiency, his talons tearing into Rabama's shoulder.
The crowd gasped in disbelief as Rabama stumbled back, his wounds mounting.
"Who is this man?" Lord Kabana demanded, his shock breaking the silence. "How can he overpower our Rabama so easily?"
"They call him the Demon of Gullee," Hanna said, her voice tinged with unease. "He once defeated a peak-tier Svad demon in the Sodom ruins… and lived to tell the tale."
Kabana's jaw tightened. "A peak-tier demon? Impossible!"
Back in the arena, Leo smirked, sidestepping Rabama's increasingly desperate attacks. "Alright, boy. It's obvious you're no match for me in close combat. Why don't you cast some of those fucking spells you're so proud of?"
Rabama's pride flared, his face darkening. "If I cast my spells, you won't live to regret it. My magic tier is above yours," he snapped, though his aura betrayed his unease.
"We'll see," Leo replied nonchalantly. "Magic tier doesn't mean much if you suck at it."
Rabama began chanting, his voice reverberating with arcane power. Energy coalesced around him as he prepared his spell.
"Ah, an enhancement spell. Something like Velocity Extreme, right?" Leo muttered, unimpressed.
Moments later, a barrage of stone pellets erupted from Rabama's hands, augmented by his spell.
"You enhanced a Magic Missile?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Magic Missile is basic," Rabama sneered. "But it's easily augmented into a devastating attack."
Leo countered with his own barrage of projectiles, meeting Rabama's assault head-on. The spells collided in midair, bursting into showers of energy.
"How is he matching Rabama's magic?" Kabana exclaimed, his disbelief echoing through the crowd. "He's a whole minor tier below him!"
Before Rabama could finish his next chant, another wave of missiles from Leo struck him directly. The audience gasped as Rabama staggered, his spell dissipating.
"How is he casting so quickly?" Kabana demanded, his voice rising with incredulity.
Hanna's expression was grim. "He must be an inherent caster or have a fast cast ability."
"Fast cast? No wonder he's so confident," Kabana muttered, still struggling to process what he was witnessing.