White flames descended like a blazing sun as Lucien hovered in the air, his amethyst eyes cold and unyielding.
Below, a few people were protected by shimmering energy shields, standing within the massive basin carved into the earth.
His gaze was emotionless, yet a terrifying power radiated from him.
"Mansion... Mansion…" Emilia, Ram, and Rem stared at the bottomless sinkholes that surrounded them, their faces pale with fear.
Only Roswaal, Puck, and Betty held their focus on Lucien as he slowly descended from the sky.
Natsuki Subaru clenched his fists, veins bulging across his forehead.
"To be honest, I'm a little disgusted just looking at you now… fifteen times. Fifteen full times!"
"I want to see how long you can last," Lucien said quietly, the blue light in his hands brightening, energy surging around him like a storm.
Subaru's anger froze, his face paling as he realized the truth.
The enemy knew about his Return by Death, and his memories remained intact.
His mind began to collapse under despair.
"Not only do I know," Lucien said coldly, "but the clown beside you knows as well."
His eyes softened as he looked at Emilia, Ram, and Rem, warmth hidden beneath his overwhelming power.
"Although we've met more than once, some procedures must still be followed," he continued, voice low but firm.
"Emilia, Ram, Rem, I have always deeply loved you!"
The three girls were stunned as a blue meteor streaked across the sky, its long tail trailing like fire.
"Dream on!" Roswaal, Puck, and Betty attacked simultaneously, creating multi-colored energy shields to block the approaching blue light.
The shields shimmered and cracked, but the force of Lucien's attack was unstoppable.
Only with their combined efforts did the wave of energy finally halt, shaking the basin and tearing the sinkhole wider.
Lucien's hair whipped in the wind as his body recoiled slightly.
He narrowed his eyes.
"It seems there is no other way."
The war music began to resound, amplifying Lucien's aura.
He raised his hands, forming a massive blue energy sphere.
"Die!"
The Kamehameha expanded outward, shattering the combined defenses and engulfing everything.
Roswaal, Puck, and Betty stared in disbelief—their united defense had been broken by a single person.
Lucien's power was unimaginable.
---
"The sixteenth time," Lucien Graves murmured on the pub bed as he opened his eyes, lighting a cigar and blowing smoke lazily.
Habitually, he checked the light screen for updates.
Nothing unusual appeared.
Flipping to the skills section, he saw that the war music still had no cooldown.
His eyes narrowed.
The war music had reset, allowing him to unleash full power without holding back.
In a blink, he vanished once more.
At Roswaal's Mansion, Natsuki Subaru slowly regained consciousness.
This time, his expression was empty, devoid of fighting spirit.
The enemy knew about his Return by Death, and even the combined efforts of Roswaal, Puck, and Betty could not stop Lucien.
There was no chance of victory.
The disparity in strength left only despair.
Ram and Rem stood silently at the foot of the bed, their cold eyes cutting into Subaru.
The Witch Factor swirled around him, a tangible aura of defeat.
Four minutes later, Emilia arrived, concern etched across her face.
"Subaru, are you alright?"
Subaru's eyes were hollow.
"Leave quickly! Get out of here!"
"Leave here? Why?" Emilia asked, confused, touching his forehead as if he were sick.
"His target is me. He won't hurt you. He deeply loves you," Subaru explained, grasping her hand as a flicker of hope shone within him.
Emilia frowned, unable to follow his reasoning.
"What do you mean he deeply loves me?"
"Listen to me. Take Ram, Rem, and everyone else, and leave. As fast as you can, within ten minutes!" Subaru pushed Emilia toward the door, urgency driving every movement.
Before she could respond, a high-pitched, mournful note rang through the air, accompanied by a blue meteor streaking across the sky faster than ever.
"It's not even ten minutes yet!" Subaru shouted, despair twisting his face.
This time, Lucien had used the war music immediately upon awakening, doubling his strength and speed.
It only took him about four minutes to reach the mansion.
With over a minute to spare, the Kamehameha unleashed its full force, now even more terrifying under the war music's effect.
The mushroom cloud rose again, turning everything to dust.
Lucien Graves woke on the pub bed, then activated the war music once more, a golden lightning bolt piercing the window and vanishing into the sky.
Another blue meteor fell, repeating the devastation.
No matter how Subaru struggled, every effort failed.
By now, he had died twenty-five times in the Roswaal Mansion arc.
His spirit was broken, hope extinguished.
Even Roswaal's Gospel reflected multiple deaths, leaving him equally stunned.
Lucien, exhausted yet satisfied, finally allowed himself a brief pause.
He lit a cigar, exhaling smoke into the air, savoring the moment before disappearing into the sky once more.
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