"Stupid woman, you've angered me!"
A violent tornado exploded outward as Erigor coughed up blood.
A raging storm spiraled around his body, the wind forming sharp blades along his scythe. In an instant, he vanished and reappeared in front of Lucien, swinging down with lethal force.
Lucien's expression did not change. He felt the cutting pressure of the attack, yet he calmly raised the massive Gatling gun above his head and blocked it.
"Bang…"
Sparks erupted as the weapons collided, the impact producing a metallic roar that echoed through the ruins.
"Damn woman."
Erigor's eyes widened slightly. He had not expected Lucien to stop that strike so easily. Seeing him in a female form made Erigor instinctively look down on him, assuming his close combat ability was lacking.
"Not bad," Lucien said flatly.
His figure blurred.
In the next moment, Lucien appeared behind Erigor and delivered a brutal kick.
A faint, blood-red chain flickered beneath his skin, barely visible under the dress. The moment it appeared, a burning pain surged through his body, as if he had been dropped into boiling oil.
The stronger he became, the clearer that chain grew, and the deeper the pain bit into him.
"Whoosh…"
Erigor shot downward like a meteor.
The ground exploded on impact, tearing open a massive trench that stretched across the ruined station.
"Damn it!"
With a furious roar, wind burst outward from the crater. Erigor staggered to his feet, blood dripping from his mouth as he gripped his scythe tightly, his gaze locked onto Lucien.
"Storm Crush!"
A magic circle flared.
He slashed forward, releasing two massive wind blades that tore through the air toward Lucien.
Lucien dismissed both the Gatling and Rocket Launcher. He wanted to test his physical strength directly.
His eyes locked onto the incoming attacks.
His long legs moved sharply, and he kicked twice in rapid succession.
Two Arashi Kyaku blasts surged forward, colliding with the wind blades.
An explosion thundered through the area.
Lucien vanished again.
He reappeared in front of Erigor, who had already wrapped himself in a dense storm, forming a protective cloak.
Lucien punched forward.
The rotating wind dispersed most of the force. At the same time, Erigor swung his scythe across.
Lucien leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blade. His long hair swayed as he twisted his body, then his leg shot forward again.
This time, the impact landed cleanly.
Erigor's face twisted as his storm cloak shattered. He was blasted backward, but quickly regained control mid-air as the wind gathered again around him.
Lucien watched closely.
That defensive technique was effective. It reduced most of the damage, leaving only a fraction to go through.
"Haa… haa…"
Erigor's face darkened. Being suppressed like this filled him with rage.
He raised his hand, forming a spinning tornado in his palm before throwing it forward.
"Storm Wave, die!"
The tornado expanded instantly, growing larger as it devoured everything in its path, tearing apart the remains of the station as it surged toward Lucien.
The wind howled, lifting Lucien's dress, but even the violent force failed to harm him.
The entire area was reduced to chaos.
"Haha! Fighting me, the Shinigami, is suicide!"
Erigor laughed wildly, convinced Lucien had been shredded by the storm.
Then a voice spoke behind him.
"A bit weak."
Erigor spun around immediately.
His smile froze.
Lucien stood there completely unharmed.
"Your magic is strong, but too slow."
Lucien moved.
Afterimages flickered.
The blood-red chain briefly surfaced across his face again, causing a sharp sting, but he ignored it.
His leg drove forward.
The kick slammed into Erigor's stomach.
"Gah!"
Blood sprayed from Erigor's mouth as his body folded inward. His eyes bulged, his face twisting in agony as he was sent crashing into the ground once more.
Boom!
The impact shattered the earth, sending debris flying like bullets into the sky.
Lucien descended from above.
He stepped down hard onto Erigor's chest.
"Crack… crack…"
Bones shattered under the force.
Blood poured from Erigor's mouth, nose, and ears as the ground beneath them collapsed further, forming a massive crater.
Without hesitation, a thorn-like vine extended from Lucien's lower back and pierced straight through Erigor's heart.
His body twitched once.
Then went still.
---
By dusk, Oshibana Station was nothing but ruins.
Silence hung over the destroyed area.
"We're here!"
A magic carriage sped across the horizon and came to a halt.
Erza Scarlet and the others jumped down, staring at the devastation in confusion.
"Is this really Oshibana Station?"
"Those Eisenwald guys aren't here anymore, right?"
The wreckage made it obvious that a battle had already taken place.
"Let's find someone and ask," Erza said, frowning as she split off to search for information.
Behind her, Lucy struggled to support Natsu Dragneel, who still looked half-dead.
"Ares, you're seriously not a gentleman. Why do I have to carry him?"
Lucien didn't even glance at her.
"I don't like men."
Lucy's teeth clenched instantly.
What kind of ridiculous reason was that?
About ten minutes later, Erza returned with Gray Fullbuster, her expression tense.
"They left around noon. We have to catch up immediately. If we're late, the consequences could be disastrous."
Without wasting time, everyone boarded the carriage again.
This time, a massive surge of magic power was poured into it, and the vehicle shot forward at incredible speed, vanishing into the distance.
Inside, Natsu continued to suffer.
Lucy struggled to keep her balance as the carriage swayed violently, her skirt shifting with the motion.
"Gray, where are you looking?!"
Her face flushed as she pulled her skirt down and glared at him.
"Tch."
Gray turned away, completely uninterested.
Lucy froze.
What kind of reaction was that?
"Gray… you don't like women, do you?"
Her expression turned strange as she stared at him.
"Someone your age still wearing bear underwear is childish."
The words hit like a hammer.
Lucy's expression went blank.
"Aye, Gray is too harsh," Happy added.
"Happy!"
Lucy turned to him with hope.
"Does not wearing bear underwear suddenly make you mature?"
That was the final blow.
Lucy's spirit shattered.
She slowly turned toward Lucien, hoping for some validation.
He was looking at her legs.
But there was no desire in his eyes.
Only indifference.
"You see, even Ares thinks so. You might as well be a man, Lucy."
Happy's comment finished her off.
Lucy collapsed onto Natsu, tears streaming silently as she questioned her entire existence.