"Pfffft…"
The laugh slipped from the smoke like a crack in reality.
Light at first.
Mocking.
Then—
"Haha…"
A pulse of unease rippled through the crowd.
Even Seran froze. Just for a moment.
The golden light of his blade shimmered above the dust, his breath still heavy from the last strike. The air still reeked of scorched mana and blood—but that sound didn't match it.
Didn't belong here.
"Ahahahaha…"
The laugh swelled. Low. Wild. Like something snapping not from pain—but from pleasure.
And then—
—FWOOOOOSH!
The smoke tore open as a windless force blew it away, revealing the figure standing at the center of the crater.
Lucavion.
Coat in tatters.
Shoulder bloodied.
His ribs—yes, definitely cracked—shifted slightly beneath the fabric, rising and falling with sharp, deliberate breaths.
But his face—
That smirk.
Half-mad. Half-beautiful. Eyes wide with fire and delight.
"Finally…" he whispered.
