Hero walked past them without stopping.
Soon, the city wall came into view.
He slowed slightly, then stepped forward and leapt, landing lightly on top of it.
His robe settled with a soft rustle as he straightened, his posture relaxed as ever.
From there, the view opened up.
He looked outward.
The land beyond stretched into the distance, lifeless and still.
Dead trees stood scattered across the grey grasslands, their branches twisted and bare. The earth beneath carried a dull red hue, uneven and dry.
It was once a beautiful mass of green, you know...
And above it all.
A thick, red miasma drifted through the air.
In some places, it hung densely, almost solid. In others, it thinned out, revealing more of the barren land beneath.
Hero rested his gaze on the horizon, appreciating how fragile life can be.
"A disaster outside… yet peace within," he murmured.
His voice carried softly into the open air, fading into the stillness beyond the wall.
He closed his eyes, letting the breeze brush against his skin. His robe shifted lightly with the wind, sleeves swaying at his sides.
For a moment, he stayed like that, still, quiet.
Then his eyes opened again.
This time, his gaze shifted slightly.
His head turned a notch to the right, as if catching something just beyond sight.
"Coming this far just for a walk too?"
"Sir Lucien."
A sudden flutter broke the silence.
Swoosh…
The sharp caw of crows echoed as a dark figure emerged to his left, cloak settling as if it had always been there.
Hero didn't turn immediately. His gaze drifted forward again, hands folding behind his back as a faint smile formed.
"Care for a talk?"
"I've come for that," Lucien replied. "A more in-depth one."
There was a brief pause before he added,
"Though I didn't expect you to sense me."
"That's a suprise coming from someone as well as you are."
The tone was the same.
But colder.
More distant.
Hero glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
Same outfit. Same posture.
But the feeling around him had changed.
This wasn't just a conversation. He came here for a reason after all. Secluded place, good for a "in-depth" chatting between the two.
Still, neither of them moved.
Some things came first.
"What do you think of this city, Hero?"
Lucien's voice cut through the quiet space.
The air seemed to settle.
Hero paused, just for a moment, then shifted his gaze slightly toward him.
"A very… unique city," he said.
"Far from everything, yet somehow holding everything."
Lucien gave a small nod. "Clear and concise."
A brief silence followed.
"Then what do you think of Miss Ilya?"
"Lady Ilya," Hero corrected calmly. "She belongs to the Lord."
Lucien's gaze lingered on him.
"And yet you act so boldly."
"Being aware and still reckless…" Hero let out a quiet breath, the smile on his lips barely changing. "Isn't that part of being young?"
"And stop pretending to be on her side. You are here to test me, aren't you?"
"Precisely, I have my own guesses to confirm"
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And another thing, the way you speak feels… old."
The air grew colder with his words.
Hero tilted his head just a fraction.
"Old?" he repeated. "Or just… experienced?"
"Oh, do you have something against an old fashioned person like me?"
He shifted his stance slightly, the movement small but deliberate.
"People live differently. Naturally, it shows."
"Precisely…"
Lucien's voice softened, almost agreeing.
A beat passed.
"And that's why…"
"My intuition is telling me something"
'A great fortune' He muttered inwardly.
The air shifted.
Before Hero could react.
Lucien was already beside him.
An inch away.
A palm struck forward, wrapped with Foundation Building energy, the pressure sharp and immediate.
"I can't let you live any longer."
"Humph!"
Hero's eyes changed.
Boom!
"Huh?"
A rare flicker of surprise crossed Lucien's face.
His palm had been stopped, caught mid-strike.
Hero's hand held it firmly in place.
For a brief moment, neither moved.
Then Lucien's gaze tilted, the surprise fading into something colder.
"You really are something."
The dust stirred, then pushed outward as if forced aside by an unseen pressure.
Hero stood there, his face revealed beneath it.
A wide, almost manic grin stretching across his lips.
"Come on… come on…" he said, his voice low, amused. "Don't just throw a palm at me and call it a 'talk,' alright?"
"Test something? Now you've hit a porcupine shell, what are you going to do?!"
"proceed"
Lucien snorted.
Boom!
His palm pressed down.
The wall beneath them shattered, cracks racing outward as the structure gave way. The impact sent vibrations rippling through the ground.
Below, chaos broke out.
Beggars scrambled to their feet, stumbling over themselves. Those who had been lying still moments ago now ran blindly, faces pale.
"W-what's happening?!"
"Im—immortals! They're fighting! Run!"
Boom!
A thick cloud of dust surged upward as a section of the wall collapsed completely.
For a brief moment, everything disappeared into grey.
Lucien didn't hesitate.
Zoom!
His fingers shifted, energy gathering instantly. A halo formed behind him, expanding rapidly before merging into his hand.
He pointed downward.
"Cut…"
Shing!
The air split.
Boom!
The ground below was cleaved apart, the dust scattering along the path of the strike.
He moved again.
Boom!
Another cut tore through the space.
His gaze remained fixed below, searching.
A faint frown formed.
Something was wrong.
Then.
"Watch out…"
The voice came from his right.
Close.
Too close.
Lucien's pupils shrank.
He barely caught the outline of a fist rushing toward him.
"W—"
The impact landed before the word could leave his mouth.
His body was sent flying.
He slammed into the standing section of the wall, the force dragging him across its surface before he came to a stop, debris falling around him.
Dust filled the air.
Ash and broken debris fell like rain, drifting down over the ruined section of the wall and the shattered ground below.
The clash had been brief, but the damage was already severe. Cracks spread across the nearby structures, and the once quiet corner of the city had turned into a mess of rubble and scattered remains.
If one looked closely, there were bodies beneath it.
Some unmoving.
Some buried.
A common saying came to mind.
When gods fight, mortals suffer.
Tap.
Hero's foot landed lightly on the broken wall, not far from where Lucien had been thrown.
His smile hadn't faded.
If anything, it had only grown wider.
He stood there, relaxed, watching.
As the dust slowly settled, a figure emerged.
Lucien stepped out from the haze, his cloak slightly dirtied, faint traces of dust clinging to the fabric. Aside from that, there were no visible injuries.
He was still standing.
"Say…"
His voice carried through the thinning dust.
Hero stopped mid-step, turning his head slightly.
"Is this strength truly yours… or something else?"
"Bingo…"
Hero grinned.
There was no point hiding it.
"So," he added, spreading his arms slightly, "do you want to continue?"
The gesture was open, almost inviting.
But Lucien only watched him for a moment before shaking his head.
"That technique of yours…" he said calmly, "borrowing someone else's strength, it has a limit."
His gaze lingered.
"And you're close to it."
Hero didn't reply.
The smile stayed.
"That punch just now…" Lucien lifted a hand, brushing his shoulder lightly. "It injured me more than it looked."
He rolled his shoulder as he spoke, the movement subtle, as if adjusting something beneath the surface.
Hero's eyes narrowed slightly.
Shoulder?
Not the face?
"No wonder it felt off when it landed. It hit your face… but the impact wasn't there."
Some kind of method to redirect damage.
Hero took note, his gaze steady.
Lucien exhaled quietly.
"So another punch like that…" he said, giving a small shrug, "would probably kill me."
His fingers pressed briefly against his shoulder, bones shifting back into place with a faint, dull sound.
"You're dangerous," he added, looking at Hero again. "But you're also rational."
A short pause.
"I'll take this as my loss."
"After all, I am simply here to confirm my guesses, not trying to kill you"
Hero didn't believe a single word.
Lucien turned slightly.
"I'll be leaving."
There was no hesitation.
The same way he had appeared.
He disappeared.
The space he stood in grew empty once more.
Hero remained where he was, watching.
He didn't move to stop him.
Not because he chose not to.
But because he couldn't.
"Spurt—!"
His body jolted uncontrollably as he dropped to the ground.
The impact sent a low wave of dust outward, loose debris shifting around him.
Hero caught himself with one hand, fingers digging into the broken surface. His other arm trembled as he tried to steady his breathing.
For a moment, he stayed like that.
Then he lifted his head, looking over the devastated area.
A faint, tired smile formed.
"Well… that was a gamble…"
He let out a breath, shoulders sinking slightly.