[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian felt it the moment the cursed Gorgon began regaining clarity. Her eyes sharpened, her posture shifted—she was about to strike. But Lucian acted first.
Without hesitation, he vanished into the veil of his own shadow, reappearing several meters behind her. He paid no mind to the chaotic clash of his shadow army warring in the background. On his back, two shadowy limbs writhed with a life of their own, each grasping the ends of his chained scythe. The weapon spun rapidly, becoming a blur of black and purple in their grip.
With a violent arc, the scythe lashed out. The chain coiled tightly around the Gorgon's neck like a serpent claiming its prey. Then, with one monstrous tug, Lucian lifted her clean off the ground and hurled her over his shoulder. She crashed face-first into the rocky terrain, the earth trembling with the impact. A guttural cry of pain tore from her lips.
As Lucian stepped forward, a cursed serpentine spirit slithered toward him from the side, aiming to take advantage of his focus. But before it could strike, Assassin emerged like a phantom from the void—silent and deadly. With a gleam of his black katana, he split the curse in two. Lucian didn't even spare the creature a glance. His eyes were locked on the Gorgon as she began to rise.
Lucian doved back into the shadows Forming a shadowy smear on the ground, a length of chain jutted out—Lucian's weapon trailing from his hidden position. The dark patch moved across the battlefield as if swimming through liquid shadow, almost like a shark swimming around its prey.
The Gorgon slowly lifted her massive, serpentine form, her eyes scanning furiously for Lucian. Rage now burned within her—a personal vendetta awakened. She hissed, making a wet, choking noise, just as the chains around her neck constricted tighter under the power of Lucian's enchantment: [Binding Force].
She reached to pry them off, but it was too late.
Lucian circled her like a predator in the dark, his shadow slithering through the battlefield. The chains reacted, snaking around her shoulders, her arms, her chest—wrapping her in an unbreakable embrace. Her limbs were trapped, rendered completely useless. The more she struggled, the tighter the coils became.
With a silent burst from the shadows, Lucian emerged behind her, boots skidding across stone as he came to a stop. He made his shadow limbs clenched into a tight fists, and with one brutal yank, he amplified the [Binding Force] again. The pressure intensified so violently that the Gorgon couldn't even scream.
She could only choke—wheezing and writhing as her tail slammed against the ground in frustration. But the thrashing yielded nothing. The bindings held firm, allowing only the rhythmic tapping of her tail to echo across the field.
Lucian watched with cold, detached precision, his red irises glowing under the influence of [Clairvoyance]. A strange, guilty satisfaction tugged at the corners of his mind—he was enjoying hearing her choke and gasped for air far more than he cared to admit.
But then, her tail stilled. And with an instinct born from sheer desperation, she curled it around the chain.
With a surge of raw, primal strength, she flung Lucian off his feet. The chain snapped taut, and he was yanked forward, spinning wildly through the air. She slammed him into the earth with bone-jarring force, stunning him for a brief, crucial second.
Seizing the opportunity, the Gorgon thrashed fluidly, her body swaying as the chains began to unwind from her limbs. As her arms found the slightest freedom, she lunged and grabbed the chain. With a snarl, she swung it like a whip, attempting to slam Lucian into the ground again.
But Lucian twisted in the air and landed hard, crouching with perfect form. His feet dug deep into the fractured stone, sending fresh cracks spiderwebbing through the ground. Without wasting a second, he yanked the chain and launched himself toward her like a missile.
The sound of clashing metal and rattling chains echoed. The Gorgon's eyes flared with a violent fire, unleashing her most fearsome weapon—Petrification.
Lucian's body froze mid-air, transformed instantly into stone.
Cracks splintered through the stone statue. It shattered like glass under unseen pressure—revealing Lucian emerging from the debris like a butterfly from a cocoon, his battle gear gone, replaced only by a black sweater and loose pants, fluttering slightly in the wind.
He was already in front of her.
Before the Gorgon could comprehend what had happened, Lucian's hand pierced through her chest with terrifying force. The wound was grotesquely wide, a gaping hole ripped clean through her body—large enough for someone to walk through.
His outstretched hand glowed with cursed energy as he invoked [Curse Manipulation].
A rush of cursed essence burst from the Gorgon's core, spilling into the air like smoke pouring from a broken furnace. Her shriek was torn away by the overwhelming discharge as her strength rapidly drained.
Lucian twisted in mid-air, landing in a wide crouch before skidding to a halt. One hand was outstretched, the other gripping his wrist tightly for support. A sphere of black and crimson energy pulsed before his palm—dense, unstable, and alive with power—as he siphoned the Gorgon's very essence into it with sheer will.
The immense pressure contorted Lucian's expression with pain, his body trembling as spiritual energy bled from him. Still, he didn't stop. He gritted his teeth and held firm, forcing the spiraling torrent of cursed energy to obey his control. The orb before him crackled violently, barely contained.
The Gorgon shrieked and writhed in desperation, her body twisting in an attempt to flee. But it was hopeless. Her countless skirmishes with Lucian had drained her reserves too far. Now, with her energy slipping away, she could do nothing but fight a losing battle against the pull of Lucian's spell.
Her massive frame heaved as she clawed at the ground, trying to slither away. She embedded her talons into the stone, leaving deep gouges as she dragged herself forward—but every inch gained was undone as the suction yanked her backward. Her gaping chest cavity widened grotesquely as more of her cursed essence was ripped free.
The lower half of her serpentine body collapsed into the orb, dissolving like sand in a storm. Next, her torso followed. Her limbs disintegrated one by one, then her shoulders, neck, and lower jaw. Clinging to her final fragments of existence, she turned her distorted face toward Lucian, eyes igniting in a last-ditch effort to petrify him.
But it was too late. The enchanted mask of Medusa cracked—fractured by the overwhelming force—and shattered into glittering fragments. Her entire being crumbled to dust, the final shards of her soul sucked into the glowing sphere.
Lucian finally exhaled a long, rattled breath, sweat glistening on his skin. "That was way harder than it needed to be," he muttered, dragging himself upright. His body bore the battle's toll—patches of grey stone had spread across his face, hands, and arms. Even his clothes and hair bore signs of partial petrification.
He took a moment to scan the battlefield. Around him, his shadow soldiers stood victorious, the last remnants of the Gorgon's cursed army vanquished. Broken stone littered the field, humming with faint traces of curse energy.
Some of his shadows were celebrating. Lucian chuckled faintly as he spotted Asura and Golurk exchanging a powerful dab, their massive hands colliding with a thunderous slap.
Above, Beatrix hovered on her broom, smiling proudly. Edna stood tall, chest puffed out like a child awaiting praise. Lucian shook his head with a soft smirk.
"Good work, everyone," he said, his voice calm but appreciative.
The army of shadows erupted in cheers, howling their victory to the sky.
Lucian lifted his hand again, refocusing. "Let's not waste what remains," he said, calling upon [Curse Manipulation]. His palm began to glow as he absorbed the lingering cursed energy—the remnants of the serpents that once adorned Medusa's head.
The energy, no longer anchored, streamed into the sphere in a rush of black mist. When it was done, Lucian brought the orb to his lips. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and swallowed it whole.
The sphere pulsed as it traveled down his throat, glowing briefly through his skin before vanishing into his core. A moment passed.
Then Lucian shuddered, a breath catching in his lungs as raw power surged through his veins. His hair lifted in a supernatural breeze, and crimson-black energy rippled along his frame like fire dancing over oil. His body trembled not with pain—but with the overwhelming rush of newfound strength.
He closed his eyes, savoring the flood of power as it multiplied within him.
"Five percent… ten... twenty... fifty…" he whispered, counting by how much his magical power increased. "Ninety... a hundred... one-fifty... two hundred…"
Awe flickered in his voice. "Woah... My magic power just went twice over what it once was . And it was impressive before…"
"Lucian?"
He turned, his eyes flickering briefly green for a short pause before they went to a calm red, unaware of it. He blinking in surprise at the voice. Medusa approached cautiously from the treeline, having watched the battle unfold. Her expression was soft, filled with concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice gentle.
Lucian hesitated, then smiled awkwardly. "Apart from a sudden urge to be pampered for my hard work? Yeah, I think I'm good." He looked around at the devastated landscape and grimaced. "Sorry about your shop…"
Tears welled in Medusa's eyes as she shook her head. She crossed the space between them and wrapped her arms around Lucian in a warm, heartfelt hug.
"Thank you, Lucian," she whispered, voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much."
Lucian's eyes widened, caught off guard—but he didn't resist. Instead, he let his body relax into the embrace, a soft smile forming on his lips.
"Ahhh... This is nice…" he muttered, closing his eyes. "Totally worth it."
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