045 FOR LUST AND WRATH
"Forget about your wrath for a minute. I'm worried about you," Leo said, his voice soft yet firm.
She met his gaze, the edge in her eyes softening. "It's easy for you to say. You don't carry this… fucking shit in you."
But Leo's concern wore down her defenses, softening her stance until she gave a small, defiant nod. "Alright," she whispered. "One last fuck, for the road."
She slipped onto him, letting his 'essence' go inside once more as they indulged in the moment, as they sought solace in each other through the intimate action.
"Ahhhhh"
When it was over, Leo took a steadying breath, resting beside her. "So, what's next?"
"There's one more Rose we have to face," she replied.
He nodded knowingly. "The Boss. You think she'll… respond to me like the others?"
Dassa shrugged, a shadow of doubt crossing her face. "No one's ever seen her fuck anyone before. So, your guess is as good as mine."
"We need to ask for advice against someone like her."
----
Leo and Dassa returned to the Gullee mansion, casting a foreboding shadow over the halls as they moved.
Servants and family members knelt as they passed, prostrating as if before royalty—but Leo commanded far more than respect; he inspired raw fear now.
He was the Demon of Gullee.
As they strode through, someone brushed against Dassa.
It was Lillgros, one of Lilleo's cousins.
Though he had heard tales of Lilleo's ruthlessness, he had never witnessed it, not even when Lilleo killed Lilwo. To him, Lilleo was still a sick, arrogant bastard, and he certainly wasn't intimidated by the woman at his side, assuming she was just another servant.
"Fucking apologize to my friend," Leo demanded coldly, his voice slicing through the air.
Nearby family members stilled, sensing the tension.
"I don't apologize to anyone, least of all a useless coward like you," Lillgros sneered, his words dripping with contempt.
"Stop, Lillgros!" Lillann, the Lieutenant General, called out. "Do not insult the heir of the family."
Leo remained unfazed, his gaze fixed and calm. "Dassa," he said, his voice low, "I leave his punishment to your wrath. Time to replenish it."
A dangerous smile curved on Dassa's lips. She seized Lillgros by the neck and lifted him off his feet effortlessly.
"Help! Please!" Lillgros gasped, struggling against her iron grip.
"She'll kill him!" someone cried, panic spreading through the family.
Lillann, the strongest mage in the household, stepped forward to intervene, but before he could move, Dassa's fingers tightened, and with a sickening snap, she crushed Lillgros's neck, killing him instantly. She released him without a second thought, her wrath as cold and unyielding as her touch.
"No!" Lillann shouted, rushing toward her. But he froze as her hand whipped to his throat, swift as a striking serpent.
"Don't… kill me! I am the Lieutenant General of the family!" Lillann pleaded, his voice quivering.
Dassa glanced at Leo, awaiting his command.
"Let this old fool live," Leo said dismissively. "We have more pressing matters than dealing with cockroaches."
She released Lillann, and the two walked off, leaving a shaken silence in their wake.
"What happened, Lieutenant General?" Kassim, one of the onlookers, whispered. "Weren't you going to stop her?"
Lillann's face was grave. "What justice can stand against a Svad Mage?"
Kassim paled. "She's… she's a Svad Mage? Another one?"
"Yes," Lillann replied heavily. "This Leo is truly something else. If I were you, I'd leave this family while you can. If we cross him, none of us will be spared."
"We really do have a demon in the house," Kassim murmured, a chill settling into his bones. "Just a month ago, he was still a regular human."
-----
"You're ruthless with your family," Dassa remarked to Leo.
"They're not my family," he replied, dismissing the thought. "And that idiot you killed wanted me dead more than once. I just didn't have the time to kill him myself."
"Well, if you have any 'needs' in the killing front or sadistic torture department, count me in. My fucking Wrath counter could use a boost," she said, her voice laced with dark amusement as they entered his chambers.
"How fucking strong are you, really, Dassa? I couldn't tell just from your box marker," Leo asked, intrigued.
"The markers and identifiers don't reveal important information about a human player—mostly irrelevant details to keep others guessing, to protect them," she replied.
"She's a Cakra Svad Mage, minor tier three," Yun-Yun interjected suddenly.
Dassa turned, studying Yun-Yun with interest. "Is this the powerful mage you spoke of?" she asked.
"She's my teacher," Leo replied.
"Impressive," Dassa remarked. "Too bad she's not a player."
Yun-Yun raised an eyebrow. "Why do you call me a 'player'?"
"Forgive me. You're not a player—we are," Dassa replied.
"'Player'? Strange title for a summoned being, a gamer or quester would sound better," Yun-Yun mused.
"Summoned being?" Leo asked, glancing between the two of them.
"This realm is… unique," Yun-Yun explained. "It sits at the crossroads between worlds, which makes it easy for beings from other realms to cross over. There are many, and you two are among them."
"You knew all along?" Leo asked, surprised.
"Of course," she replied. "I can still see the traces of summoning magic on you, which haven't fully dispersed. You haven't been here long."
She turned to Dassa. "But you, you've been here for quite some time. If you hadn't mentioned it, I might not have realized you're a summon as well."
"Your friend knows a lot, for a slave you picked up on the black market," Dassa noted, impressed.
"She's the former leader of the Snow Mountain Sect of the Eastern Kun Empire," Leo said.
"An honor to meet you," Dassa replied, and Yun-Yun inclined her head respectfully, acknowledging the recognition.
"We need help dealing with someone… powerful," Leo said, turning to Yun-Yun.
"You've advanced incredibly quickly," Yun-Yun noted, eyes narrowed in thought. "Already at the peak of Cakra Mula? Not even the most gifted of our sects could progress this fast."
Dassa smirked. "I helped him with that. Feeding him Roses."
"Sacrifices," Yun-Yun murmured and frowned. "The demon cults do progress faster that way. Makes sense."
"What is wrong?" Leo asked her.