"Did it succeed?" Connie's eyes shone with anticipation.
"No, fall back quickly."
Armin's expression shifted drastically as a bolt of golden lightning crashed down.
"Pfft… pfft…"
A massive shockwave slammed into Connie, Sasha, and the others, bones cracking under the force, blood spraying as they were thrown backward.
At the center of the devastation, Lucien transformed into the Armored Titan.
"How is this possible? He actually became the Armored Titan."
Armin lay in the rubble, disbelief etched on his face. Lucien had just released the Beast Titan moments ago, and now another Titan had appeared.
Ignoring the others, Lucien charged straight for Eren, who had been severed in half and needed time to recover, unable to transform again yet.
"Whoosh!"
A dragon-slaying saber appeared in Zhou Wei's hand, radiating golden light under the power of the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Lucien's eyelids twitched. Even with the Armored Titan's natural Hardening, he knew he couldn't block Zhou Wei's strike.
Zhou Wei's body flickered with Lingbo Micro Step, moving unpredictably toward Lucien's feet, aiming to disable him by severing his legs.
Lucien hardened his feet and countered, but Zhou Wei's speed and technique were overwhelming. Being a Titan, in this situation, was actually a disadvantage.
Kukris appeared in Lucien's hands. He swung one down, the strike tearing through the ground, yet he failed to touch Zhou Wei. The two battled like predator and prey, leaving the area in ruins.
The Survey Corps occasionally ambushed Lucien with Thunder Spears, complicating his efforts and further irritating him. Eren had been moved to safety by a struggling Armin. Capturing him now required dealing with Zhou Wei first.
Lucien rose from mid-air using Geppo, eyes cold with lethal intent as he regarded Zhou Wei.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, intense war theme music—Victory—echoed within Lucien's mind, suffusing the battlefield.
All the Mindless Titans under his control seemed to surge with newfound power, their roars deafening, their strength amplified. The Survey Corps only noticed the music as a pleasant tune, unaware of its effect.
Within five minutes and twenty seconds, the war music doubled the Mindless Titans' strength, speed, and attack power. Its cooldown was ten days.
Golden energy coalesced around Lucien. Equipment—helmet, arm guards, chest armor, goggles, boots—assembled and clanged into place, forming a shining suit of golden armor. He descended from the sky like a god, Haki emanating from his gaze.
The metallic clangs of the armor, combined with the war theme, made a visceral impression. Lucien felt unstoppable, the music enhancing his power.
Zhou Wei tensed, Nine Yang Skill flowing restrictively around him, misty purple aura enveloping his form. He was the only one who could rival Lucien's presence.
In the distance, Armin, Eren, and the Survey Corps could only stare in disbelief. These two figures looked like gods among men.
"Boom…"
The ground beneath them shattered. Lucien and Zhou Wei shot forward like arrows. The clash of dragon-slaying saber and blade sent shockwaves through the air, numbing their arms.
Zhou Wei, with only forty years of cultivation and Nine Yang Skill at level four, retreated three steps, while Lucien, relying on sheer physical strength, pulled back five or six steps.
Speed favored Lucien, Soru versus Lingbo Micro Step, ethereal and near-instantaneous.
"Bang!"
Flashing behind Zhou Wei, Lucien's kukri carried immense force, enhanced by the war music, every movement imbued with destructive confidence. Sparks flew as Zhou Wei countered with a golden divine dragon in his left hand.
"Dragon's Fury!"
The surrounding floor lifted, houses blew apart, dust and debris filling the air. Lucien performed several backflips, his right foot numb from exertion. Zhou Wei's left hand trembled under the pressure.
"Whoosh!"
In just two breaths, Lucien closed ten meters, blades slashing toward Zhou Wei's throat.
Zhou Wei blocked with the dragon-slaying saber and forced his inner energy into his left hand to strike Lucien's chest. Lucien disappeared in an instant.
"Rumble…"
A five-meter golden dragon launched from Zhou Wei, splitting the ruins.
A sharp blade appeared at Lucien's back—a cold threat.
"Divine Dragon Swings Tail!"
Zhou Wei unleashed the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms technique, swinging backward with all his might. The blade was blocked, but his right foot wasn't spared. Blood spilled as Zhou Wei tumbled into the ruins like a cannonball, debris scattering.
Lucien's kicks, powered by Soru and the war music, landed ten times in rapid succession. Even with Nine Yang Skill, Zhou Wei struggled to withstand the blows.
In the blink of an eye, Lucien flashed five times, kukris in both hands, targeting vital points: eyes, throat, heart, and lower body.
The lack of pattern in his assault—the unpredictable, ruthless strikes—kept Zhou Wei fully suppressed, struggling to defend against every attack.
_______
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