A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 6 - Part 32

"I'm sorry about that."

"You bastard... You're Leandro, aren't you?" Garfiel instinctively understood that the man in front of him couldn't be underestimated, and while he still wanted to test his prowess, the earlier demonstration persuaded him to be cautious for the moment.

If, on the other hand, Leandro had provoked him in the slightest, Garfiel wouldn't have hesitated to start a fight. The good thing was that Leandro didn't do anything as stupid as that... He wasn't so immature as to get into a fight with a fourteen-year-old boy and lose because he was arrogant.

Cough, cough.

"Why do I feel like someone's making fun of me? Could it be Echidna?" The black-haired man wondered, nodding at the demi-human's question. "Yeah, you must be Garfiel."

"In the flesh! My great self protects this place from external threats." He stated proudly. "You can say I'm the eye of the Sanctuary."

Garfiel didn't want to be left behind by another's exploits, especially if it was Ram's companion. Leandro understood this thanks to what he knew about him. He extended his hand to shake the teenager's hand, who looked at him suspiciously but returned the greeting so as not to appear cowardly.

An electrifying pressure coursed through Garfiel's body upon contact, and though he tried to resist the squeeze, he couldn't exert any force at all. The blond grunted, feeling indignant at the intimidating gesture, but the butler smiled innocently and released him.

"You have a powerful physique, worthy of a great warrior." He patted him on the arms. "I wouldn't want to be your enemy."

Garfiel was flattered and forgot his earlier anger for a moment.

"Heh! It's good that you noticed so quickly! By the way, what the hell did you do just now?" He frowned.

"Just now? Oh, excuse my bad manners. I was testing your strength with one of my techniques. I promise I didn't mean to be rude."

Unbeknownst to Garfiel, his encounter from the previous loop had enlightened Leandro. Since the Sloth's authority was weakened, trying to suppress someone's movements by simply wrapping their body wouldn't work if the target was overwhelmingly strong, like Garfiel.

Leandro then recalled what Subaru had done to Emilia in the fifth arc, when he removed the Lion Heart that Regulus had imposed on Emilia. Testing his theory, he was able to confirm that the energy of his authority could enter the target's body and affect it from within.

All the butler did was touch some nerves in Garfiel's arm, producing a much more effective result than the other method. Out of curiosity, he also tried to see if he could damage his heart or brain, but when he tried to spread his energy to those areas, the power was deactivated, and the same thing happened when he approached other vital organs.

"Is this another self-imposed limit my brain imposes? Maybe it's because it's related to a taboo? It's true that I still don't feel capable of killing someone in cold blood..."

But that wasn't the point. He'd found a solution for using his authority effectively, even against formidable opponents. With such power, he might not have to fear for his life in the near future. He felt relieved.

Garfiel still stared at him curiously. All he saw was a young man barely into adulthood, with no detail in his appearance or body language that could have indicated combat experience. Leandro was an average man in every way, but the oni sisters' words and the fleeting emanation of hostility that made Garfiel's skin crawl told a different story.

If that man was so cunning, so skillful, as to do all those things, Garfiel had to make sure he wasn't a threat to the Sanctuary and its people, especially since he would soon learn what was going on regarding the demand to liberate the Sanctuary. Therefore, Garfiel didn't allow himself to let his guard down.