Michael charged toward Lucien and swung Regicide.
Like the old times, Lucien tried to dodge, but he misjudged the attack. After awakening, Regicide was stronger than ever.
A purple shield appeared in front of Lucien as he revealed that he was the Purple Emperor.
Michael didn't care and attacked again.
Lucien controlled the purple energy and created a barrier. He then created a giant purple sphere, trapping the civilians inside.
Michael asked, "What are you planning?"
Lucien replied,
"Wildfire."
Michael jumped onto the purple sphere to break it, but it was impossible to cancel out the energy of an Emperor with mere punches.
Lucien laughed.
Michael replied,
"You conquered cities..."
"...but you never conquered yourself."
REGICIDE CHARGE
With a single strike, the purple sphere shattered.
"The weak deserve to die," Lucien said.
Michael answered,
"Every strong person was once weak."
"If the world followed your philosophy..."
"...you would have killed yourself before becoming strong."
Lucien thought about Michael's words.
Slowly...
He realized that his ideology was flawed.
But he refused to accept it.
He gathered the purple energy into his hands and slammed them into the ground.
BOOM!!
A massive earthquake shook the entire town.
Buildings began collapsing.
The streets cracked apart.
Lucien suddenly grabbed a civilian with his bare hand.
Before Michael could react—
CRACK!!
Lucien crushed the man's skull in front of everyone.
Blood spilled onto the broken street.
Michael stared at Lucien.
He realized something.
Lucien wasn't trying to provoke him anymore.
He was actually carrying out his beliefs.
Michael replied,
"You don't build a kingdom by standing on corpses."
"You build a graveyard."
Lucien smirked.
"My kingdom will stand on a graveyard."
In the next second, he appeared in front of Michael.
He grabbed Michael by the neck and surrounded it with purple energy.
Michael began choking.
His breathing slowed.
His vision blurred.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness—
Olivia rushed forward.
She picked up Regicide, which had fallen onto the ground, and slashed Lucien's right hand.
SLASH!!
Lucien's eyes widened.
He stepped back in disbelief.
"Impossible..."
"How can you use Regicide?"
With his remaining hand, Lucien launched another attack toward Olivia.
Before it could reach her—
Michael stepped between them.
The attack struck him directly.
BOOM!!
Michael was thrown backward, heavily injured.
Lucien stumbled to one knee.
Blood poured from his severed right hand.
Michael forced himself to smile.
"You've gotta give her some mercy."
He laughed weakly.
Lucien answered coldly,
"Mercy is weakness."
Michael slowly stood back up.
"Mercy isn't weakness."
"It's the strength to spare someone when you have every reason not to."
Lucien shook his head.
"I don't believe it."
For the first time...
He was running away from the conversation.
His body wasn't trembling because Michael was stronger.
It trembled because he was losing the battle of words.
Michael looked straight into Lucien's eyes.
"Remember when you said history remembers conquerors?"
"History remembers conquerors..."
"...but people remember who gave them a reason to live."
"You never gave them one."
Lucien continued fighting against his own beliefs.
Michael slowly picked up Regicide.
"It was fun, my friend."
"I'll remember your ideals..."
"But now that I understand them..."
"They mean nothing to me."
"And they never will."
"I'm going to create history."
Lucien replied,
"Kings create history."
Michael smiled.
"No."
"Kings only write the first page."
"The people decide whether the story survives."
Lucien thought to himself,
"Whatever I say... he always has an answer."
"How?!"
Michael took another step forward.
"It's not too late, Lucien."
"Forget your ideology."
"It will never exist in this world."
REGICIDE LAUNCH
Michael swung his blade at Lucien.
Lucien was shocked by Michael's words, but he still chose to fight.
CLANG!!
He blocked the attack with his sword.
He quickly tied a cloth around his bleeding right arm and looked at Michael.
"Enough with the words."
"Michael..."
"Just die already!"
Michael smiled.
"It was always about words, Lucien Draven."
As Michael's NIT energy began to drop, something unbelievable happened.
The energy of the Purple Emperor changed direction.
Instead of returning to Lucien...
It flowed toward Michael.
The purple energy merged into him.
The power of the Purple Emperor remained only with the person who possessed the strongest ideals and the greatest mind.
Lucien watched in horror.
He could see his end standing right in front of him.
Then...
He looked around.
He saw the people Michael had protected helping one another instead of running away.
He quietly whispered,
"...They stayed."
Michael replied,
"Because they aren't weak."
Lucien slowly closed his eyes.
For the first time in his life...
He accepted that he had been wrong.
Just as he was about to speak—
THRUST!!
Michael drove Regicide straight through Lucien's heart.
Michael looked down at him.
"You always killed others."
"Someone like you doesn't deserve to live one more second in this world."
Silence.
The entire town stared at Lucien Draven lying motionless on the ground.
Michael lowered his sword.
"You were great."
"Your ideals were... something."
"But I should thank you."
"Because you're the reason I'm the person I am right now."
Michael closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"Thank you..."
"Lucien Draven."