This rare pupil appeared in every member of the royal family who had inherited the Founding Titan's power.
"Sister…"
Willy cried out in agony from the distant ruins.
"Whoosh…"
A thirty-centimeter-long bullet struck Lucien's nape, and Marleyan soldiers swarmed from all directions.
Anti-Giant weapons surrounded him, far deadlier than anything from the Walls. Airships hovered overhead, bristling with heavy machine guns, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers.
"Sir Willy, what's happening? Isn't Reiner Braun the current Armored Titan?"
A colonel helped Willy to his feet, fear etched on his face.
"He's not Reiner Braun. All Nine Titans have been devoured by this man."
Willy's words shocked the officer.
"All Nine Titans…"
"He is the enemy! Fire!"
Willy roared, fury igniting within him. The colonel ordered the barrage, and soldiers unleashed a storm of projectiles.
Lucien's entire body Hardened, spikes erupting from the ground around him with every thought, turning the battlefield into living hell.
Rolling smoke and screams filled the air as he leapt violently, a fifty-meter Hardening spear materializing in his hand, slicing through everything. Buildings and soldiers alike exploded under its force.
Willy didn't even have a chance to scream before his body was reduced to a rain of blood.
Having consumed Ymir's soul, Lucien now wielded the powers of all Nine Titans at will. The War Hammer Titan's abilities were at his disposal. Weapons, armor, and attacks now flowed seamlessly through him.
He charged straight toward the Marley Empire government headquarters, determined to smash it to rubble. Memories flooded his mind, demanding attention and organization.
"Stop him! Fire in every direction!"
Lucien's body Hardened as he swung the fifty-meter spear while advancing. The earth trembled beneath his steps, countless residents perishing in his path.
Inside the government headquarters, high-ranking officials scrambled in panic.
"It's too late! We're doomed!"
Before they could react, the Armored Titan smashed through the building, the spear sweeping mercilessly. Bodies were shredded, limbs severed, and organs scattered across the ruins.
Lucien shifted toward the town center. Steam rose from his body, obscuring vision, and soon the entire area was shrouded in high-temperature vapor. By the time it dissipated, only a melting corpse remained, skeleton beginning to vaporize.
"His true body escaped…"
Marleyan soldiers arrived, staring at the skeletal remains in terror.
"Reiner Braun? He… he wasn't the Armored Titan?"
"Sir, Willy confirmed before he died that Reiner Braun is dead. The Armored Titan's power has been taken by someone else."
"Then who… who is this man?"
"All of the Deyber Family are dead. No one saw him."
"Damn it! Investigate! Every detail must be recorded!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marley Empire teetered on the edge of collapse. With so many leaders dead, political structures crumbled, and enemy nations sensed opportunity. War loomed on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the architect of this chaos had returned to the hotel.
Lucien stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, frowning at the striking Amethyst eyes staring back at him.
Too conspicuous. Too high-profile. Normally, people with such features died quickly. Only the incredibly powerful or truly lucky survived.
"First, I need to sort these memories… see what I can recover," he muttered.
Lucien seated himself cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes, and sifted through the memories of Ymir and the previous Nine Titan inheritors.
Through the night, he watched epochs unfold like a movie, spanning two thousand years. He deleted ninety-nine point nine percent of the memories — too much information would only be a burden.
Now, he wielded the powers of all Titans, commanded all Mindless Titans, and could manipulate the genes and memories of every Eldian. He had become the new progenitor of his people. If he wished, he could release the Colossal Titans from the Walls and devastate the world.
Lucien's spirit freely traversed the realm, communicating with all Eldians.
Had Ymir devoured him, the consequences could have been fatal. But Lucien's luck and the Soul Devour ability had ensured victory.
Now, he speculated about his next destination: perhaps the Demon Slayer world, Dragon Ball, Lookism, Shinobi World, or even the One Piece world.
Yet he had no idea how he would crossover again. The Child of Destiny and the Reincarnator were gone, and no random crossovers had been drawn. Could he remain in this world forever?
Lucien pondered why no reaction had followed Ymir's death. She had shaped the entire storyline; her absence should have caused a ripple. Yet nothing happened.
The world, the Marley Empire, and even the wider nations were descending into chaos. Enemy forces detected the devastation, sensing Marley's weakened state. High-ranking losses had paralyzed their system, and the giants' powers were gone.
Now was the perfect opportunity to strike.
Tangentially, Zhou Wei's words echoed in Lucien's mind: he was Darkness.
And Darkness, by nature, was a virus of the multiverse.
Its purpose? Destruction.
But destruction also paved the way for rebirth.
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I'll be dropping a 50% discount code for my Patreon membership on the 15th, in celebration of the upcoming Christmas season.
The code will be active from that day until the end of the month.
Stay tuned