"The Black City escort!"
This City seemed to take their name quite seriously. Their war steeds were a deep shade of night with a singular jagged horn gracing their foreheads. Their carriage seemed carved of carbon and an oppressive aura hung over them all.
BANG!
The carriage doors opened.
The first thing anyone saw was a heavily armored leg smashing against the ground. Leonel could tell that if it wasn't for the fact this was a Fourth Dimensional world, the ground would have been cracked beyond repair.
But, even then, the weight of this man was undeniable. And, when he came into view, his oppressive presence seemed to overshadow all things.
The man's beard could only be described as… furious. It ran across his face and jaw like the blades of a knife. It was objectively unkempt. But, if the man groomed it, something would feel off as though this was his natural state.
The state of the man's face made it hard to tell his age. But, those with sharp senses could tell that he was also a youth.
His heavy black armor clinked about as he walked. Without having to say a word, eight followed him in tow, soon reaching the demarcation line as well.
At that moment, the young man grinned seeing the two beauties.
"Lucky, lucky. I was assigned to the same entrance as two beauties."
Syl and Young Miss Swan looked toward this young man with a hint of disgust and trepidation in their eyes. It was clear to them that Leonel was far more pleasing to the eye, especially since other than his odd beard, this young man's head reflected the sun about as well as a polished mirror.
That said, considering his status, his bald head had never gotten in his way of wooing women. So, why would he care.
At that moment, the little mink around Leonel's shoulder snickered. It seemed that many had missed its presence, just like many hadn't noticed the brand between Leonel's brows.
When the man heard this, it looked toward Leonel and found the little mink, causing his eyes to glow. He could sense something he deeply liked within the body of this little mink.
"I want your beast." He suddenly said.
The little mink hopped to Leonel's head, wrapping around itself and yawning. The appearance of its little pink tongue made it seem as though it wasn't worried about the black armored, bald man at all.
Leonel swept a glance toward the black armored man.
There was a reason he had waited here and it definitely wasn't out of respect for this man.
Achievements were only worth something if others didn't achieve. There would be no happiness if there was no sadness, no joy if there was no despair. The more people there were to act as a contrast to him, the better.
The black armored man could tell that despite the fact Leonel had to look up, he wasn't oppressed by his aura in the slightest. However, unlike everyone else who had been starstruck by Leonel's appearance, the black armored man was, likewise, not.
"Life's unfair." Leonel said plainly. "Unfortunately, you can't always have what you want."
Hearing Leonel's words, the young man was stunned for a moment before suddenly grinning fiendishly.
"Slave brand. Third Dimension. Little pretty gigolo. I never thought that someone like this would actually dare to speak to me in this way."
The man's words were like a bomb going off in the crowd. Everyone had been so overwhelmed by Leonel's presence that they hardly dared to observe him closely. It was only after hearing these things that they suddenly realized that the black armored man was correct.
Leonel's lip curled, but the smile held a hint of coldness to it.
He actually didn't mind the man saying such words. Sometimes, infamy was the best form of fame.
However, Leonel still marked this man as one that needed to be taught a lesson. Now, he just had the perfect excuse to do so.
Seeing Leonel's unperturbed smile, the black armored man felt some discomfort.
"It seems we have something in common." Leonel said lightly. "Before, no one dared to speak to me in this way either. It was only after the world began to change that some gained an overinflated sense of self-importance. It seems like you're another one of them.
"How about we make a bet?"
The smile within Leonel's gaze deepened.
"I don't have any words as pointed as gigolo to call you, but what do you say, baldy?"
The man's gaze narrowed as a silence fell over the crowd.
"It seems you want to die."
His voice became like gravel as his aura bore down on Leonel.
"Do you accept, or not, baldy?" Leonel replied.
The man stared toward Leonel before bursting out into a fit of laughter. When he finally stopped, his aura had become as heavy as a mountain, bearing down on everyone present. Whether it was his love of women or his want for the little mink, he forgot about them all in that very instant.
"What is this bet? If the stakes are too small, I just might take your life right here and now."
"Isn't there a trial right before us now?" Leonel said plainly. "I'll not only outperform you, I'll embarrass you. As for the stakes… Do you dare to bet your life?"
Maybe it was because the valiant aura of the Brave City Gates was fueling his raging blood. Or, maybe it was because Leonel was going all out to stand out as much as possible… but, whatever the truth was, a bloodthirsty and cold presence seemed to exude from him.
The man faltered slightly. Then, he seemed to truly see Leonel for the first time.
"I, Jefrach Black, have never stepped down from any challenge."
"Good." Leonel replied plainly.
Leonel took a step forward and crossed the line. As though a beast was roaring in his face, his hair whipped back violently, his face even distorting slightly.
"Since you've reported your name, I'll do the same. I'm Leonel Morales.. Remember it well."