Lucian looked behind Scar.
Sanhua and Jinhsi walked forward slowly.
It turned out that the ice crystal earlier was Sanhua's Resonance ability.
With a wave of Jinhsi's hand, a golden light flashed, and her figure slowly levitated into the air.
At the same time, a sea-blue dragon materialized out of thin air, roaring skyward with an awe-inspiring presence.
The next moment, the illusory dragon split into five smaller dragons, charging fiercely toward Scar!
"Hah, so it was a trap."
Scar's lips curled into a smirk, his expression full of disdain.
The card in his hand instantly burst into raging flames, melting the ice encasing him in the blink of an eye!
Immediately after, he turned around and, with astonishing speed and strength, shattered each of the incoming dragons one by one.
But that wasn't the end.
At that moment, Jinhsi conjured multiple small dragons again, coiling around Scar's body like iron chains, tightly binding him.
"Interesting… You really think this can hold me?"
Scar let out a cold laugh, his tone dripping with mockery and confidence.
Clasping his hands together, Scar suddenly exerted force, and a powerful surge of energy erupted from his body!
In an instant, the "dragon shackles" binding him were completely dispelled.
The shockwave from the dispersal sent everyone before him flying back several meters.
Rover raised her arms to shield herself from the pressure of the blast.
A red barrier slowly rose around Scar—it seemed he intended to use his spatial ability to teleport away again.
"Don't even think about escaping."
As soon as she spoke, Rover suddenly noticed Lucian silently appearing behind Scar without warning.
Rover, who had been about to charge forward, smiled faintly.
Just as Scar was about to say something, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
The voice he least wanted to hear rang out:
"Not cool, man. Ignoring me when talking is one thing, but ignoring me in a fight too?"
Scar gritted his teeth. "Tch…"
He had been careless. All his focus had been on the Magistrate, completely overlooking this guy…
He spun around abruptly, gripping a card in his hand as he slashed toward Lucian's throat.
But Lucian was already prepared. The Yamato in his hand flashed swiftly.
"Perfect timing to test my blade!"
The Yamato sliced through the card in Scar's hand as effortlessly as cutting through mud.
Then, Scar suddenly sensed an overwhelming, deadly aura.
This feeling was even more terrifying than when he had faced the Magistrate earlier.
His pupils contracted sharply. Though he couldn't see Lucian's movement, his sharp instincts and battle experience made him instantly evade his original position.
A split second later, the space where he had stood erupted with violent slashes, tearing the air apart and even shattering the red barrier around him, preventing his escape.
"Don't let him run!"
Lucian's voice was calm, but the Echo within his terminal leaped out on its own, attacking Scar.
Scar was furious. Since his appearance in Qichi Village, he had always held the upper hand.
His gaze burned with malice as he glared at Lucian—all because of this seemingly unserious man…
Scar decided to go all out. He would make Lucian pay. He would destroy everything here!
But at that moment, he noticed Lucian suddenly sheathing his blade, murmuring something under his breath.
He heard Lucian's whisper.
"Chixiao: Shadowless!"
The next instant, Lucian's figure vanished from Scar's sight like a ghost.
Scar's face twisted in fury. He tried desperately to dodge, but found it impossible to evade this lethal strike.
Yet he refused to just wait for death. Scarlet cards materialized in his hands, and he slammed them onto the ground.
With a deafening explosion, the smooth floor shattered into countless fragments.
At the same time, a tremendous force erupted, repelling the Echo charging toward him.
Then, raging flames engulfed his entire body, forming an impenetrable shield.
The next moment, a series of razor-sharp slashes appeared before everyone's eyes with thunderous momentum.
Each strike carried a chilling, murderous intent.
Crimson blade lights surged like tidal waves, completely engulfing Scar in an instant.
Before anyone could process what had happened, their vision was filled with a sea of red.
By the time they regained their senses, Lucian was already standing calmly behind Scar.
He slowly sheathed his long blade, his expression unreadable.
Only then did the final, dazzling slash fade away, revealing Scar's figure.
Everyone stared.
Scar was on his knees, hands pressed against the ground, his entire body trembling violently.
His face was deathly pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he gasped for breath.
Meanwhile, a system notification echoed in Lucian's mind.
[Ding! Achievement Unlocked: Interrupted Casting]
[Reward: Bloodblade Technique Level +1.]
...
Sanhua reacted swiftly, stepping forward and restraining Scar's hands with specialized shackles.
After a moment, Scar forced himself to stand, his voice weak:
"So… you knew I was following you all along, Rover."
"You always have these annoyingly perceptive allies around you, don't you?"
"Teaming up with the Magistrate in advance… I'm a little hurt."
He turned his head, glaring at Lucian. "And this guy…"
"Really makes me curious… Where did he crawl out from?"
"With someone like him protecting you… heh… I suppose I can rest easy…"
Jinshi stepped forward, concerned. "Are you all alright?"
Rover shook her head. Beside her, Lucian remained still and silent.
It wasn't that he didn't want to speak—he was just too exhausted.
The Yamato's Dimensional Slash was an innate ability of the blade itself, so it didn't tax Lucian much.
But Chixiao: Shadowless was a burst skill, draining him immensely. At his current level, using it once was already his limit—recovering enough to use it again would take days.
Though Chixiao: Shadowless was immensely powerful, Scar's battle experience was formidable. He had made the optimal decision in that moment.
Otherwise… what awaited him might have been death.
Rover noticed the slight tremble in Lucian's shoulders. Smiling, she walked behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging them.