"That was a close call! Good thing I'm so smart!"
Lucien wiped the cold sweat from his forehead as he walked away from the Fairy Tail guild, his expression full of self-satisfaction.
By shifting all the blame onto Phantom Lord and acting like a helpless bystander, he had barely avoided a disastrous confrontation. If things had gone differently, he would have been dragged into a brutal fight.
At that moment, he had only two options, flee or be crushed.
There was no way he could handle an unknown transmigrator along with Makarov, Natsu, Gray, and the rest of Fairy Tail's powerful mages. That combination alone was enough to overwhelm him.
His poisoning plan had failed, so now he had no choice but to move on to his second strategy, a coordinated assault.
He needed to seize control of the villains in this world and then use overwhelming force to destroy everything.
Just like he had done in the pirate world.
However, with his current strength, controlling top-tier villains would not be easy.
"Damn Odin…"
Lucien's expression darkened as irritation surged through him.
If he ever encountered any gods from Norse mythology again in another timeline, he would slaughter them without hesitation.
Still, despite everything, he felt a lingering sense of regret.
If possible, he had wanted to infiltrate Fairy Tail and obtain Fairy Heart, that source of infinite magic power.
Unfortunately, that fellow transmigrator possessed the Voice of All Things. Even the slightest mistake could expose him. He had already raised suspicion, so attempting the same trick again anytime soon would be suicidal.
Lucien suddenly stopped walking.
A sharp thought struck him, and he slapped his forehead hard.
"Idiot… I've been overthinking this."
Why infiltrate at all?
If Fairy Tail left their base, why not just raid it directly?
A slow grin spread across his face.
If events followed the original timeline, Fairy Tail would clash with Phantom Lord in a few months. At that time, their guild would be left exposed.
A perfect opportunity.
And judging by that transmigrator's behavior, he had no intention of disrupting the plot.
That meant Lucien only needed to wait.
During that time, he could recruit subordinates, gather early-stage villains like Erigor, or even manipulate members from other guilds.
Control both sides, light and dark.
That was how real power was built.
His mood improved instantly.
"I really am a genius."
"You really do have a problem."
Lucien's body stiffened.
The grin on his face disappeared as he turned sharply, his expression turning cold.
Ares descended from the sky.
Lucien's heart sank.
"I… I didn't mean anything by it."
He took a step back, forcing panic onto his face as he slipped into an act.
"Stop pretending. You're good at it, but it's useless."
Ares spoke with icy indifference.
In the next moment, a terrifying wave of Haoshoku Haki surged forward.
The sky darkened instantly. Thunder roared as black clouds gathered overhead. Lightning flickered violently.
Yet the pedestrians in the distance remained unaffected.
This pressure was aimed solely at Lucien.
Ares had complete control over his Haoshoku.
Lucien's hair rose and fluttered under the pressure, but his expression quickly returned to normal.
This was stronger than Kaido's and Whitebeard's.
For most people, this would crush their will and weaken their strength.
But Lucien was different.
His soul was far stronger than ordinary people.
This level of suppression could not restrain him.
The act was pointless now.
Ares already knew.
"Who exactly are you?" Ares asked coldly.
Behind him, countless golden weapons materialized in the air. Swords, spears, halberds, every type imaginable, all hovering silently.
It resembled the Gate of Babylon, but without the swirling golden portals.
It was clear that his Devil Fruit had been pushed far beyond normal awakening.
Lucien did not answer.
Instead, a Gatling gun appeared in his hand.
It was initially one meter long, then rapidly expanded to five meters. The barrel thickened, larger than his waist.
At the same time, a rocket launcher and a spiked club hung from his elongated earlobes.
His stamina earrings continuously restored his energy.
There was no need to hide anymore.
Golden lightning crackled around the massive Gatling as it began to spin.
Then Lucien fired.
A storm of bullets tore through the air, each one carrying explosive force and deafening sonic booms.
Ares raised his hand.
The golden weapons shot forward, colliding with the bullets. Sparks exploded across the battlefield as metal clashed endlessly.
Lucien moved instantly.
Two halberds slammed into where he had been standing, detonating the ground and leaving behind a massive crater.
Ares floated slightly above the ground as golden armor formed over his body.
Most of the bullets were intercepted. The few that landed only left faint marks.
The damage was negligible.
Lucien clicked his tongue in irritation.
His weapons had not absorbed enough souls, and he could not strengthen them further.
The Odin Curse restricted both his body and soul.
Meanwhile, Ares had not even used Busoshoku Haki or Rokushiki techniques.
The difference in power was obvious.
Gunfire roared endlessly.
Explosions shook the area as buildings collapsed into ruins. Civilians fled in panic, scrambling for safety.
Lucien kept moving, constantly shifting positions.
Ares did not move at all.
That irritated him even more.
It had been a long long time since he felt this kind of weakness.
Lucien adjusted his stance.
With one hand still firing the Gatling, the rocket launcher on his ear expanded and dropped onto his shoulder.
The barrel stretched to an enormous size.
At the same time, a frying pan replaced its position on his ear.
"Boom!"
The rocket launched.
It arced through the sky before detonating violently.
A massive explosion erupted, forming a rising cloud of fire and smoke that swallowed everything nearby.
The destructive force resembled a missile strike.
If this weapon kept evolving, it could eventually rival something far more terrifying.
All it needed was more souls.
Strong souls.
Back when he was not cursed, Lucien had looked down on this ability.
Now he understood its true value.
If it kept growing, destroying entire planets might not even be impossible.
And he had nearly wasted it.
"It might be Ares!"
"Let's go check it out!"
At the Fairy Tail guild, Natsu and the others rushed out after hearing the explosion. Without hesitation, they ran toward the source.
Back at the battlefield, Lucien fired another round, then stepped forward.
His body blurred.
He activated a movement technique, instantly disappearing and reappearing far away, draining a large portion of his Ki.
He had already made his decision.
He could not win.
So he would retreat.
Lucien reappeared above the open sea and immediately dove into the water.
He was not taking any chances.
As the smoke cleared, Ares stood alone in the ruined battlefield.
His face was dark with anger.