"Show us."
Guy Crimson as he gave his verdict. While he was certain that she had the potential to become one of the strong, after all, even with his Ultimate skill [Lucifer] he could not read her at all, and he knew for a fact that she had no ultimate skills of her own, even then it was his hope that something interesting would happen again.
This might just be the most interesting Walpurgis he has ever had since its creation millions of years ago.
It would be a shame if it ended so quickly, there had to be something more interesting that would happen. Those were the thoughts of Guy at the moment.
The girl looked at him with a neutral gaze in her eyes that he still couldn't read for the life of him. "I already surpassed Clayman two months after appearing in this world. If it wasn't for the fact that he grafted my body he would have no hold over me."
From the side Leon scoffed. "Sounds like an excuse if I ever heard one."
Guy raised his brow. "Oh? Hey Leon, you suddenly seem interested. That's rare, seeing you interested in someone else."
"Tch." Leon frowned. "I don't have time for your nonsense Guy. Keep to yourself would you."
Guy lamented. "That hurts you know, I thought we were close."
"Do you have a problem with me?" The girl asked, and beside her Kaede frowned as well. "Yeah, do you have a problem with her? What's your problem?"
Leon glanced at them condescendingly. "I couldn't care less about the two of you. As far as I'm concerned, my entire day has been wasted."
"Oh? But we've just seen the rise and fall of more than one Demon Lords in just one day. So many interesting things at once." Guy sounded joyous.
"None of what you just said concerns me in the slightest. What they do is none of my business, whether they want to call themselves Demon Lords in their free time, so long as they don't bother me I could care less."
"I thought you were a cool guy earlier, but now I just wanna punch you in the face." Kaede warned.
"You're not the only one." Rimuru murmured, but everyone heard him.
Millim looked at him sharply. "What? You don't like him too, Rimuru?" Then she turned back to Leon. "Hey Leon, it was cool when you were messing with Kaede, but pissing off Rimuru is where I draw the line."
Everyone looked at Millim with raised brows.
The girl then stepped forward. "There is no need for you to bother yourself Lady Millim. If Lord Leon has a problem with me, then I don't mind settling it." She glanced at Guy. "After all, I still have to show my strength as one of the Demon Lords."
"Challenging Leon, right of the bat?" Ramiris cried out. "Hey, don't be so hasty!"
Leon looked at her. "Why would I waste my time with you?"
"Ah, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Sally, was it? Leon is one of those even I consider strong, perhaps you'd do well against the weaker Demon Lords." Guy interrupted with his usual smile. "Like Carrion here, or Frey."
"Not even gonna sugarcoat it, huh?" Carrion laughed bitterly.
"Why Carrion, I don't truly consider you weak at all. Perhaps in a few short years, you'll awaken your true potential. No, I just know you will." Guy replied.
The girls didn't budge from where she was, simply staring defiantly at Leon.
'Ah, what a predicament. This doesn't bode well for dear Leon. If he wins, Kaede isn't going to take it easy on him, but If he loses... Eh, Leon's a big boy, he can handle it.'
With a sigh Guy finally spoke. "Alright I've decided. In order to prove that you can stand amongst us, Sally challenges Leon. The conditions are, that you have to survive five minutes against Leon going all out."
"What is this Guy?" Leon glared at Guy intensely. "I have no interest in this debacle."
Guy looked away. "Ah, Leon is looking at me so Intensely. I don't know what you want me to do though. It's not like you can refuse the challenge?"
Leon frowned, but he understood. As a Demon Lord, it was not possible to refuse a challenge to his seat and position, especially in the presence of the other Demon Lords during a Walpurgis like this.
Except this wasn't even a challenge for his seat. The girl had already been accepted as a Demon Lord by everyone. Guy was just trying to stir something again and now he has to fight when he doesn't want to.
In the first place, the only reason Leon had even gotten interested in the girl was because she'd mentioned that she was from another world, hence an otherworlder, like Kaede.
Unfortunately, Guy had noticed his interest and called him out on it. It seemed that the girl also noticed but took it as hostile.
Ah. What a bother. Those were the thoughts of one Demon Lord Leom Cromwell.
Leon exhaled slowly. "…Fine," he said at last. The word landed without weight, but the shift in the room was immediate.
"I'll humor this," Leon continued, his voice flat, disinterested. "Five minutes, was it?" His gaze settled fully on Sally for the first time.
"But understand this," he added, "I won't be holding back just because this is a formality."
Sally didn't react. "…That's fine," she said simply.
Kaede's fingers tightened slightly against the arm of her seat. "…Sally," she muttered.
Sally didn't look back.
Guy smiled. "Excellent." He snapped his fingers lightly.
The space shifted.
Another barrier formed. Larger than the one used for Clayman, but refined. Stabilized by Guy's will alone.
"Same rules," he said casually. "No interference. No outside assistance."
His eyes flicked briefly toward Kaede. "Especially from you."
Kaede clicked her tongue. "…Yeah, yeah. I got it."
But she didn't relax.
Not even slightly.
---
Sally stepped forward into the center of the arena.
Leon followed.
There was no dramatic buildup.
Just two figures standing across from each other.
The air between them tightened.
Leon tilted his head slightly. "…You said you're an otherworlder."
"Yes."
"Then answer me this," he continued. "How long have you been in this world?"
Sally paused. "…Almost a year or so," she said.
Leon's eyes narrowed just a fraction. "…I see."
Something shifted behind his gaze.
Recognition?
No.
"Begin."
---
Leon moved first, and without warning. He simply disappeared.
Sally's body reacted instantly. Her head tilted, just as a beam of condensed light tore past her face, carving a line through the barrier behind her with enough force to distort its surface.
Leon stood where he had been a moment ago, one hand slightly raised.
The ground beneath her feet cracked lightly as she shifted position, and another beam lanced through where her head had been.
Then another.
Then three more in rapid succession.
Each one faster than the last.
Leon lowered his hand slightly. "…Interesting."
The light condensed differently this time.
"Let's increase the output."
The next attack didn't come as a beam. It came as a field.
Light erupted outward from Leon in a controlled expansion, saturating the entire arena.
This time, there were no blind spots, gaps or escape routes.
Sally's eyes narrowed.
Kaede's breath caught. 'Sally...'
Sally lifted her hand. Black threads flickered into existence around her fingers.
They wrapped around her. Layer after layer.
A cocoon of distorted magicules forming around her body just as the light swallowed everything.
The light faded.
Leon lowered his hand. "…Is that enough?" he asked, almost bored.
A thin line appeared in the space where Sally stood.
Then another.
The entire field distorted. As if a flower was blooming in reality and from within, Sally stepped out.
Unharmed. Not even a burn mark.
Leon's eyes sharpened. "…That skill just now," he said quietly. 'She used Clayman's puppet string manipulation to puppeteer the space around her to form a barrier.'
Sally tilted her head slightly.
Leon smiled. Just a little. "…I see." The magicules around him surged.
"Then let's stop playing around."
He placed his hand on his sword handle, ready to pull it out.
Kaede's eyes widened slightly. 'He's serious now.'
Sally exhaled softly. "…Good."
Her gaze sharpened. Except unlike the other times, there was clear intent behind it. A dark hungry intent.
The air around her shifted.
Subtly, but everyone felt it.
Even Guy's smile deepened. "…There it is."
Five minutes?
That no longer mattered.
Because now...
It had become a real fight.