Chapter 41: Lucian VS "Simon" (End)
The battlefield was a wasteland, scorched stone and ash stretching out under a sky choked with gray clouds and fading mana sparks. The light from Lucian's final strike—Hybrid Blade Demonic Art: Tenth Form, Skyfall—still lingered in the air, fading slow like a dying star. The ground was carved open by a single, perfect line, a massive scar that stretched far past the horizon, glassed over and smoking faintly. The air was quiet—no birds, no mana beasts, no wind—just a low hum of leftover energy, a mix of divinity and hell that buzzed like a warning in your bones.
Lucian stood in the center, his saber lowered, its blade glinting faint in the dim light. His coat fluttered soft in the fading heat, his ashen-white hair catching the breeze. His breathing was steady, his face calm, like he'd just finished a chore, not a fight that broke the world around him.
Where the fake Simon had been, there was nothing. No blood, no body, no trace of the black ichor that had spilled from him before. It was like he'd been erased, like he'd never existed at all. Even the system hologram, the one that usually popped up to confirm a defeat in the simulation, stayed dark, silent.
Christopher broke the quiet first, stepping closer, kicking up ash with his boots as he brushed dust off his torn uniform. His voice was a mix of awe and nerves, like he wasn't sure what he'd just seen. "Damn… he's gone. Like—gone gone. There's not even a speck left. Bro, what the actual fuck was that?" he asked, his eyes wide, darting between Lucian and the empty crater where the shapeshifter had been.
Lucian exhaled soft, sheathing his saber with a quiet click. "That takes care of the first problem," he said, his tone flat, almost casual, like he was talking about fixing a leak, not wiping out a Seventh-Class Dark Mage. "Good job, everyone, for holding the other two back."
Christopher blinked, then let out a laugh that sounded more like he was choking on disbelief. "Good job? You did all the work, Lucian! Hah, I swear, I should tattoo this somewhere on my damn forehead—'Don't mess with Lucian Azrael Von Blackstar.'" He scratched his head, grinning wide, his teeth showing through the dirt on his face. "And damn, your slash literally cut the sky. Like, what the hell, man? I know this is a simulation, but still—you're powerful as fuck."
Celestia stepped up beside them, her white silk hair glowing faint in the leftover mana light, her gray eyes soft but shining with quiet admiration. "I agree with Christopher," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "That wasn't a simple art, Lucian. The intensity, the precision—it's something far beyond what any Fifth-Class should be capable of. It was… incredible."
Lucian gave her a faint smile, just a flicker, shrugging like it was nothing. "Still, I should give you two credit. You both held off Silvan and Serene long enough for me to focus. Without that, I couldn't have ended it cleanly," he said, his voice steady, giving them a nod like he meant it.
Celestia smiled back, small and warm, but her mind was heavy with thoughts she kept hidden. 'You did everything again, Lucian. Just like before… in our past life. Always the one protecting, always the one carrying the world on your back. When will I ever catch up to you? When will I ever stand beside you, not behind you?' she thought, her gaze dropping to the ground, hiding the quiet frustration in her eyes.
Lucian turned his focus to the other two—Prince Silvan and Lady Serene, standing a ways off, both frozen in stunned silence. The pressure of his aura still hung in the air, faint but heavy, like a warning from something bigger than them, something that didn't care about titles or pride.
"Prince Silvan. Lady Serene," Lucian said, his voice clear and firm, cutting through the quiet like a blade. "Surrender now and admit defeat. That way, we can move on to face the top Class S fighters without wasting more time."
Silvan's fists clenched tight, his golden hair falling messy over his face, his pride warring with what he'd just seen. His eyes flicked to the glassed-over battlefield, the scar that stretched beyond sight, and his shoulders slumped. He sighed deep, his sword lowering slow to the ground. "…Alright. I surrender, and I admit defeat," he said, his voice low, like the words hurt to say.
The moment he spoke, a light-blue circle glowed beneath his feet, humming soft. In a blink, his figure dissolved, teleporting him out of the simulation grounds, leaving only a faint ripple in the air.
Serene stood quiet for a few seconds, her crimson eyes calm, her face blank, like she was carved from stone. Then she spoke, her voice steady but cold. "I understand."
But her eyes gleamed with something dark, something twisted, like a secret she was keeping to herself. As the teleportation light wrapped around her, her thoughts whispered, soft and sharp, 'Ahh~ my dear Lucian… you've become even stronger than before. Ahh~ I can't hardly wait to have you all to myself again… to keep you by my side forever. Hehehehehe…'
Her figure faded into the light, leaving nothing but the echo of her laugh in the air.
Lucian, Celestia, and Christopher stood alone now in the vast, broken ruins, the silence settling heavy around them. Lucian stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking off a long day, his coat swaying slightly. "Let's hurry and finish this. The simulation's last stage is waiting," he said, his voice calm but edged with focus.
Christopher grinned wide, cracking his knuckles loud enough to echo. "Yeah, finally! I can't wait to fight that Johnathan guy and his team. I heard the three of them are on another level—hahahaha! This is gonna be fun," he said, his eyes glinting with excitement, like he was itching to punch something.
Celestia nodded beside him, a small, confident smile curling her lips, her sword steady in her hand. "Alright then. After you, Lucian," she said, her voice light but sure, like she was ready for whatever came next.
Lucian gave a short nod, his deep black eyes burning faint with determination, like a fire that wouldn't go out. The battlefield shimmered as the system started to hum, preparing their next teleportation phase, the air buzzing with energy.
For a moment, the three of them stood together—powerhouses of Class A, ready to take on the final challenge.