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Kouki blinked, unsure of what to say or do. Why did he stay? Why did he not run!? Was he really so foolish to think he could beat this thing!?

"I-I... ah..." he stammered, trying to find the words, yet nothing came out.

Though, as if someone were watching over him, a sudden scream shattered the moment. "Kouki!" A loud, feminine shout echoed through the dungeon cave. Lucian turned to see a group of students returning to the dungeon floor. Among them, a girl wielding a katana was approaching faster than the rest, her sword outstretched.

'This could be interesting,' Lucian thought as he deftly moved Kouki, using the hand that held his shoulder. He then grabbed the boy's arm and extended it for Shizuku's katana to chop off.

It was a clean cut, one that was followed by Shizuku's red eyes widening in horror, the same color as the blood that began to quickly pour out of Kouki's arm stump.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kouki screamed in terror, the pain taking a moment to catch up with him as his widened eyes stared down at his bleeding stump and dismembered arm in horror.

Dropping Kouki to the ground, Lucian took a step back, observing the consequences of his actions. A chilling smile played on his lips, an unsettling calmness embracing his features as he surveyed the aftermath.

Though, Lucian found it odd. Sure, he was a sadist in his past life, and he enjoyed people's suffering, but never like this. He had never been able to do what he was doing right now... Well, not that he had ever tried.

'It must be this blessing,' he thought as he continued to observe the people present in slow motion. His altered perception, which had momentarily frozen the world in time, gradually began to return to normal.

"I-I... I d-didn't mean to..." Shizuku said, her gaze one of terror as she stood there, frozen in place looking at what she had done.

"Kouki!" Kaori yelled out as she quickly left where she and Hajime stood and ran to her companion's side. 

"By the holy power, I pray for thee. Wounds and suffering, vanish before my prayer. Recovery!" She chanted, trying her best to try and stop the blood from pouring out of Kouki's missing arm. 

"I told him to leave..." Lucian said with a sigh, though he did not even try to hide the amused smile on his face. 

"M-Monster..." Shizuku managed to mumble through her trembling lips as her shaky gaze turned to face Lucian. 

Lucian let out a breath as he shook his head, "I'm no monster, I would have just killed you all if I were." He said matter-of-factly. 

They gritted their teeth at his words, but this time, nobody made a move. They all cautiously stared at him. Lucian noticed how discreetly they prepared to fight just in case, even the powerless Hajime wasn't excluded from their readiness.

'Well, what now? Kill them...? Nah. Maybe later. It will probably cause more chaos later on if I let them live.' He mused, turning around with an idea of where to go next.

The group visibly relaxed, but their breath halted as Lucian paused mid-step.

'I should at least give them some motivation, right?' He thought, turning around, his amused smirk reappearing on his face before he paused again, his smile fading. 

'Wait, what if I scare them so much that they're afraid to ever face me again...' Lucian thought. With that thought in mind, he turned back around to face the edge of the bridge, overlooking the abyss.

"I hope to see you again," Lucian said, his voice exuding utter calm, not even turning to face the group. He then dropped off the side of the bridge and vanished into the darkness of the abyss below.

"W-What was that thing?" Kaori stammered out, having just finished closing up Kouki's wound. "And w-why was he n-naked...?" She continued, embarrassed.

Even with all that blood and gore covering his body it was still plainly obvious that he was not wearing anything!

Shizuku stared down at her bloody sword, her mind in chaos. "I... A demon. Meld said it w-was a higher demon before... He..." Shizuku managed to get out, completely ignoring Kaori's second question as she turned her gaze to Kouki, her eyes full of remorse. 

As if anticipating Shizuku's thoughts, Kouki stood up. "I-It's not your fault, Shizuku," he said kindly. His gaze briefly dropped to his detached arm on the bloody cave floor before swiftly returning to Shizuku, his expression changing to a smile upon seeing her saddened face.

...

"Ugh, how did Hajime even survive that...?" Lucian groaned out as he landed on the cold hard stone of the dark cave floor near the bottom of the dungeon.

His cold, red orbs scanned the dark cave, dimly lit by a few glowing stones. Inside, he spotted a few small bunny monsters that seemed to avoid him.

'Hmm, did I go too far with those kids?' Lucian mused, unsure what had come over him back there. But he quickly shook off that momentary thought, as he stood back up from his crouched position. 

"Nah, I had fun, that's all that matters." He decided. He is not sure what this blessing, or whatever Kaiaos had done was that had changed him, but he was not going to worry about it for now. I mean what could he do about it? And it is not like it changed him that much. 

"Though..." He murmured as his gaze trailed down his naked form that was barley being covered by the drying blood he was covered in.

"Maybe I should have stolen some clothes." He sighed out. 

"Well, no use crying over spilled milk. I guess it's time to get what I came here for." Lucian said, a small, amused smirk beginning to form on his features as he disappeared from where he stood in a flash and reappeared next to one of the rabbits, his hand outstretched as he grabbed it by its long white ears. 

"Oh man, this is going to be so much fun~." Lucian murmured, his blood red eyes swirling even faster at the idea of getting more powerful, at being able to cause even more chaos. 

Though his attention snapped back to the rabbit as it began to shake and try to wriggle out of his grasp, "Quiet down little one." Lucian said calmly as he reached down and snaped its neck.