Between heaven and earth, a single golden bolt of lightning tore downward, fierce enough to illuminate the entire district. The ground split in its wake, opening jagged ravines as violent winds swept outward and overturned everything in sight.
Time itself seemed to slow. Lucien's kukri blade was already pressed against Wang Xu's neck, but at the same instant, a figure materialized to Lucien's left. Its hooked claw emitted five razor-thin threads that lashed out toward Lucien's throat.
A soft, chilling sound echoed.
Blood sprayed like fountains as Lucien's head and Wang Xu's head were severed almost simultaneously, soaring through the air before crashing into the dust and rubble that filled the battleground.
A thunderous impact followed. Another colossal golden bolt struck down, and Lucien transformed in desperation. Steam burst outward as the Armored Titan reappeared, kneeling within a wide crater, white vapor billowing from his metallic body.
In the distance, Wang Xu lay among collapsed ruins. His previously severed head had already reattached, scattered chunks of flesh pulling themselves back into place as his regeneration worked relentlessly. Beside him stood his clone, the very one responsible for severing Lucien's head moments earlier.
The timing was flawless. Lucien hadn't even had a moment to react. It was as if Wang Xu had planned the entire encounter from the beginning, using himself as bait so that his clone could strike at the perfect moment. Even the way Wang Xu's own head detached before Lucien's blade touched him had been intentional.
As Lucien rose, the battle seemed to reach its most intense crescendo. The towering fifteen-meter Armored Titan stepped out of the rolling steam. Crystal-like plates expanded across its legs, climbing upward.
This was the Titan's defensive Hardening.
Wang Xu exhaled lightly. Threads dangled from his fingers, swaying with each step as his clone moved beside him.
Lucien raised both kukri blades. The weapons glowed a molten crimson, radiating heat so fierce that the air trembled around them.
The opponent could clearly anticipate his movements.
The ground shattered beneath Lucien as he vanished. A heartbeat later, he appeared directly before Wang Xu and brought his right-hand kukri crashing down with enough force to split a mountain.
Wang Xu leaped back an instant earlier than expected. His eyes widened slightly as he met Lucien's amethyst gaze.
"You can still move with this speed even in that Titan form. Truly troublesome."
Lucien didn't respond. He pivoted, swinging his left kukri in a wide arc, but Wang Xu narrowly avoided it again.
His clone appeared behind Lucien. Just as it moved to strike, Lucien twisted sharply and kicked backward. Dirt and debris exploded outward under the sheer force. Instead of resisting the blow, the clone dissolved into threads that swarmed up Lucien's leg, attempting to bind his Titan form.
Wang Xu struck immediately, his right leg wrapped in a mass of hardened threads.
"Super Whip."
He swung his leg sideways and struck Lucien's chest. The Hardening cracked instantly, and the impact sent Lucien's massive body hurtling backward. He plowed through multiple layers of ruins, carving a massive twenty-meter trail before finally coming to a stop.
Wang Xu's form flickered as he pursued relentlessly.
Lucien roared, and the air around him shifted violently. Heat surged from his Titan body, expanding outward like a tidal wave. Steam erupted in a massive shockwave, flattening the surroundings and reducing the landscape to scattered debris.
Wang Xu's instincts screamed at him. Without hesitation, he retreated.
A split-second later, the explosion detonated.
Flames and scorching steam surged in all directions. The shockwave pried up the earth itself, scorching everything within a fifty-meter radius, and the heat continued to expand outward until all of Flower Street vanished beneath smoke and fire.
At the very center, steam rose in thick waves. Lucien shot out of the inferno, suspended briefly in the air. His face was pale, his breath weak.
The colossal steam explosion had drained nearly half his stamina.
He knew Wang Xu was still alive.
But he could no longer continue fighting.
Gold lightning enveloped his body, and he disappeared into the night.
Back in the ruins, Wang Xu slowly stood. Portions of his skin were burned black, the scent of scorched flesh lingering in the air. His regeneration had slowed significantly.
He hadn't expected Lucien to wield both the Armored Titan's strength and the devastating steam explosion of the Colossal Titan.
Nor had he anticipated that Lucien's steam could reach temperatures far beyond the original Colossal Titan's.
A crater spanning over a hundred meters stretched before him, glowing in the center with molten, golden-red liquid.
The sight darkened his expression. His efforts had failed. Lucien had escaped.
Wang Xu's figure flickered and vanished. He needed to replace the burned cells before they deteriorated further.
…
Golden lightning struck a mountainous region. Lucien reappeared and fell to one knee, coughing violently as blood dripped from his nose and mouth. His body trembled from exhaustion. Two fatal injuries, multiple Titan transformations, the Great Might Heavenly Dragon technique, and the colossal steam explosion had taken a devastating toll.
Wang Xu's Observation Haki-like senses had left a deep impression on him. That uncanny ability to predict movements was far too dangerous.
If this continued, Lucien knew he stood no chance.
There was only one path left: devour Muzan and become a demon.
Before he could fully process the thought, a chilling presence appeared.
A white blur swept in.
A long, slender leg cut through the air with enough force to tear his eardrums. Lucien barely got his arm up in time. The impact crushed his guard, his own arm slamming into his face before he was launched backward like a ragdoll.
He crashed through trees, shattered boulders, and plowed into the earth, bouncing repeatedly until a deep ravine formed where he finally slid to a stop.
Before he could breathe, two more presences attacked from both sides.
"Serpent Breathing, Fifth Form: Winding Serpent."
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux."
The ground detonated. A serpent of slashing arcs intertwined with a spiraling water dragon, tearing the earth apart in a violent storm. Dirt, rock, and shattered trees erupted in all directions.
Giyu Tomioka and Obanai Iguro landed beside Nezuko, swords raised, eyes locked on the dust-filled center.
Lucien emerged.
His face dripped with blood, both arms severed, crimson gushing from the wounds. From his abdomen to his neck, layers of flesh had been carved away. His ribs were visible, organs crushed, muscles shredded.
His amethyst eyes glowed red with fury as he stared at Nezuko, Giyu, and Obanai.
A moment of lowered guard had nearly cost him his life.
If he hadn't sacrificed his arms, he would be dead.
These three had followed him the entire time, hidden in the shadows. He realized they had been waiting for him and Wang Xu to injure each other before striking.
Worse, he suspected they had deliberately used Yoshiwara as bait, hoping to lure out him, Wang Xu, the Twelve Kizuki, and even Muzan himself.
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