I own nothing…

He did not like the situation at all. No, he did not like this one bit…

This was not supposed to happen, just a single moment of carelessness had destroyed all the carefully created plans his cabal had spent years on. Schemes upon which they all had wasted precious resources and plans upon which the future of his organization was hinged. This one unprecedented happenstance had destroyed his dreams more thoroughly than any enemy could have…

He cursed fate in his thoughts once again, before glancing back at his fellow magicians that had chosen to follow him for the sake of their own dreams and ideals. These were men who had decided to stake their future on him and his promises.

He glanced at the supposed human-shaped interface before him— both beautiful and handsome, saintly and devious, perfect and elegant. Regal in a way that would have made even proud kings and vain queens green with envy, who looked calm even in this situation, and for a moment he doubted the integrity of his words before he shook his head at that absurd notion.

L.L had proven himself and his words with actual actions, which was more than what he could say about most of the men here.

According to what he had just told him, there was another group of magicians inside the Temple. They numbered around thirty at the very least and were moving together as a single group according to L.L. This was obviously no joke, especially considering what exactly were they chasing after… damn it.

He had picked weak magicians with little prospects for the future to accompany him on purpose, men whose presence would not be missed even if one or two were to meet an unfortunate end. A fact that almost all of them were aware of which was why they demanded heavy but relatively easier compensation in exchange— any treasure of monetary worth found in the vault was to be divided fairly and equally, but all instruments of knowledge discovered inside were supposed to be his for the taking.

The last part had been something he had insisted upon which the rest of them were reluctantly forced to agree with. Any other magician would have refused that last time which was exactly why he had hired them, knowledge could be worth more than gold in this world.

Shit. In retrospect, he should have just spent some more resources and hired more capable, powerful men even if it meant sharing the knowledge he and his organization sought.

But most importantly, he should have realized from the very beginning that his Cabal was not the only party interested in the Temple of Solomon.

Besides, thirty magicians were simply too much for this sorry lot even if he disregarded the less-than-sufficient individual powers and sheer qualitative inferiority of his men. His followers would not be able to handle the sheer amount, their expressions void of the arrogance they previously flaunted told him even they understood this much at the very least. His insides felt strangely bitter…

"We might just emerge victorious if we barricade ourselves and hold out in this room!" One of them proposed, fear laced in his voice.

"Are you insane?! These are not insignificant humans but thirty trained magicians, thirty! We are bound to be overwhelmed!" Another instantly countered.

"If you are going to fight, then please leave me out." Another whispered, "The path of magic might be dangerous but I never had the intention of walking into death myself. I would try to get out on my own regardless of risk if that were the case."

"Hah! This disgusting coward!" His partner snarled, "So now you finally show your true colours!"

The magicians he had recruited were not professionals, and the true ramifications of the fact were just now becoming apparent to him.

They were mere amateurs and this could be seen clearly by their idiotic actions— they had started arguing at the first sign of trouble and that too during a time when unity was perhaps the only advantage they had. Each one of them was an outcast of the supernatural society, and that was a disadvantage as he was beginning to realize.

Even his options were bounded, and even the sorcerers knew this seeing they were currently divided into two groups— those who wanted to stay and fight, and those who wanted to flee and escape.

They had been arguing for over ten minutes by now. But honestly, despite being the leader he did not have a good idea either.

His subordinates were the outcasts of the supernatural world, but he could not be called any better either. He would not have been the one tasked with such an absurd mission, to break into sealed tombs of men whose time had long passed in pursuit of knowledge if he were something more.

Obviously, they should run if they wanted to live. They could not defeat thirty sorcerers even as a group but there was no certainty that they would not meet the other party on the way out even if they chose to abandon the ground. That was the problem. Shit, what did he have to do to get out safely…?

…Wait.

As if God had chosen to knock him back to his senses at that moment, he paused and started thinking about it the other way around.

If they were truly bound to face intruders in a hopeless struggle then there was not much he could do about it. But wouldn't everything be fine as long as he managed to escape safely? In fact, it was not his concern if the other insignificant sorcerers here lived or died.

He took out a crudely drawn map which he made by himself on the way and checked it as carefully as he could. There were three routes that connected this chamber to the entrance and if he were to play his cards correctly then perhaps he might just be fortunate enough to walk out of them.

He approached the human-shaped interface— L.L. if he remembered correctly, and asked it for much-needed advice. He should know much more about this temple than any of them here. "I must trouble you again but I must know, how many paths connect the entrance to this chamber?"

"There are three."

As expected, the map he had painstakingly created was accurate. Even this L.L. who had never been wrong before had personally confirmed it. But that alone was not enough, he needed more information before he could plan his next move and avoid certain death.

"Do you know which route they're coming from?"

"I am sorry, but I cannot sense them so accurately." L.L. answered, "I do not have enough information to tell that with certainty…"

The supposedly mechanical interface stated this with an emotionless face and the answer was disappointing, more heartbreaking than he had expected but he did not have enough time to curse the heavens above when blades of his doom were hanging above his head.

"You can sense the invaders entering the temple but you cannot accurately decipher their movements?" He almost spat, his dismay clearly apparent. "How disappointing but then again, I never should have expected much from a thing that is not even human."

The interface refused to show any expression even at his harsh words, only his lowering his head gracefully in what appeared to be an apology.

This thing was far too removed from humanity, it knew neither pride nor shame. It spoke softly, almost respectfully— even lowering its head before a relatively weak human without any shame or hesitation. An artificial being that could control the almighty fields which protected this venerated Temple. A product of magecraft crafted so perfectly that it could demand acknowledgment from kings and gods both without shame.

Yet, it had been unhesitating in helping them with the utmost humbleness— his lips curled in distaste, all that power wasted.

"Sir magician, my presence can be traced trivially since it is tied to this temple." L.L began, his elegant voice apathetic as ever even as it conveyed a veiled sense of urgency. "I cannot leave this temple nor am I allowed to bear arms except in defense, so I am doomed to be captured regardless of what happens."

"Hm? So?" he asked rudely.

"Then at least I wish for you to choose a safer path. Since you have drawn a map then you should be aware this group cannot choose two separate paths at once, the layout of the Temple ensures that. This ensures that this other group would only come from a single path. Please live, and make a wise decision."

He stared into the amethyst eyes which were unusually serious, even as a myriad of emotions shuffled through his heart at once.

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue after a moment, annoyance and a hint of reluctance clear on his face.

He agreed with L.L. on this— no matter what he had to live. Besides, the information he had just received was perhaps something he could make use of.

"Oi!" He shouted, raising his voice higher than he had perhaps ever had. "Stop fighting and fucking listen!"

The men instantly shut their mouths as soon as his words reached them. Everyone quieted down.

He neither knew nor cared whether it was his position as their leader that made them listen or the awareness that there was no point in fighting each other that made them stop. But at that moment each eye in the room was fixed on his lone figure.

"We are taking what we can carry and retreating." He ordered, allowing a moment of quietness to pass. "There would be no fighting with those bastards outside."

"But captain!" A sorcerer tried to protest, one of the ones who had been advocating fight as the first option rather than the last resort, but before he could speak a burning glare sent his way made him shut up instantly.

"Listen up, my fellow magicians. Are you not able to see because of the treasure before us properly?" He asked rhetorically, gesturing towards the floating collection of books behind him. "Even a single original grimoire is worth more than a country or two, each can be exchanged for the wealth of a nation. Have you all forgotten that?"

"We barely managed to reach this far even with local guides helping us, so how exactly do you think we would fare against thirty good magicians thirsting for blood? Each one of us would have to defeat more than three sorcerers if we fight. Can you all do that?"

He paused to let the true situation sink in, his bloodshot eyes staring at them all. He had grown up being told that he had a glare stern enough to make small girls back home cry. He hoped it would be put to good use here.

"Stop dreaming and face reality." He snarled when no reply came. "You would die without being able to do anything."

A moment passed as everyone processed his words.

"…But there's no guarantee that things will go well even if we run away and escape."

The person to speak this time was somebody who was quiet so far and had not yet involved himself in any argument. This bald one-eyed man was a magician who could be called a senior in this group. His aged experience was the vastest amongst them all and his judgment was always carefully considered.

"The paths through which we came in here are the only ones which lead outside. These intruders would also be on these paths if they wish to enter the temple. What are we going to do if we meet the enemy on our way out?" He asked, before adding. "We could at least hold out here and fend them off, but there's no answer if we meet them out there."

His words, true to his reputation amongst the group, were reasonable and addressed a problem that had troubled him for quite some time now. It was indeed more advantageous to face an enemy on advantageous grounds rather than facing them head-on.

"I know that." He nodded, "That is why I propose that we take what we can with us and separate into three groups."

"Three groups?!"

"There are three separate routes that would lead us outside and the enemy would be on only one of them. It's how the layout of this Temple is, you can only enter through one single path. We can take advantage of this." He explained as well as he could, "Pick your path and run that way."

A moment of silence passed as the men creased their brows and considered his proposal. If that he was suggesting.

"Surely you do not mean…"

"Yeah." He closed his eyes, "One of the three groups would meet the enemy no matter what. However, the layout of the temple and the fact the enemy has not split up ensures that the other two groups would live no matter what may come."

There was a tentative silence at his suggestion.

"So one of us must become a scapegoat!" The one-eyed sorcerer flatly stated. He could see how difficult it must have been to openly say those words— the veins on his neck were visible and his fists were clenched.

But he did not complain, none of them did.

They may not be accomplished magicians but they certainly knew better than to let petty ideals cloud better judgment. Sentiments such as 'That is not right!' or 'We would rather all die together!' were meaningless to those who had chosen to walk with death. Only a bunch of sentimental fools who did not know what death meant could easily talk about absurdities such as comradeship and honour in such a situation.

Even so, the silence which settled over the room was painful…

"The ones who escape alive would donate a part of the remaining treasure to the families of the ones that have fallen." His voice softened as he extended one last olive branch. "Everyone would get what was agreed upon. We have no more corners to back up to. Forget it all and only think of what matters the most. Think about your obligations, everything else is useless…"

They all lowered their heads. Indeed, this was the only way to survive

"Our success depends entirely on chance alone. But even then, we have no time to waste. Let's get going"

He ordered sternly, leaving no room for argument.

Which group would encounter the enemy was dependent entirely on luck alone. But well, if one were to ask him this then he would vehemently disagree.

His eyes naturally drifted towards L.L. who had remained quiet so out of misplaced courtesy. Yes, saying that this was based entirely on luck was not right.

Yes, as this human-shaped interface stated— if the enemy had a way to detect energy, which was almost certainly true, then they were bound to notice the anomaly that had awoken inside a chamber sealed for more than an eon.

The target would naturally be this thing. In other words, he would not encounter the enemy so long as he saddled another group with the greatest bait he could imagine. His lips curled and he tried hard to suppress the smirk that threatened to grace his lips. He really was too good at using his head when faced with these kinds of problems

All right. Time to genuinely run away.

"Please die, my comrades." He prayed from the bottom of his heart "Please die so that I can live".

The group of magi patted each other's shoulders lightly before departing on their separate ways, a simple gesture of farewell that left Lelouch somewhat surprised. But then again, comradeship tended to flourish in hardship.

Or it could just be some sort of a ritual evocation for all he knew. It was all difficult to tell with magicians— Lelouch was aware that the Amatsuka Church of Japan practiced such forms of sorcery.

Before separating the leader had given another impassioned speech, hiding his cunning intentions behind words of concern using which he had charmed his own comrades to walk a path that spelled certain doom. Though he was the one who had woven the events that led to it, seeing such a betrayal had disgusted Lelouch, who himself had been betrayed before.

He might have fooled these naive magicians that work for him with his deceptive speeches but Lelouch saw through his schemes with a simple glance— he was certainly no Schneizel. Lelouch would see to it that his end would not be pleasant.

The group that was once united was thus divided into three parts— the unit assigned Lelouch was the largest one, with four members each. The person that had volunteered to lead them was the one-eyed bald man who questioned the leader previously.

He was a serious man as Lelouch quickly came to know, and his frowns sometimes spoke more than he himself did. The rest of his teammates were no better which was why they remained relatively quiet even as they waded across the dark path that had been assigned to them, something Lelouch was thankful for.

"…"

"…"

Gloomy footsteps echoed throughout the dark chamber.

The shadows reflected on the walls of the chamber were only enhanced by the orange glow of the torches they carried. These shadows wavered like mirages.

Not a single person spoke.

Yet despite the solemn silence that hung above them, Lelouch knew that the hearts of his companions wavering. They did it well but Lelouch saw through the masks they constantly wore, he saw the fear that coursed through their veins as surely as blood did.

How could they not be afraid? They were simple magicians aware of their own worth who knew that they could not stand up to those chasing them.

In desperation, they had divided themselves into groups of three and decided to head down separate paths to increase their own chances of survival but the fact was— one of these three groups would encounter the enemy. One of them would certainly die.

That unfortunate group could very well be theirs. How could anyone remain calm knowing all this?

When the leader of this rabble had suggested separating the larger group into smaller parts, Lelouch honestly wanted to chuckle out loud in joy. Just a few falsehoods carefully enshrouded under logical suggestions made out of false concern and the leader had danced to his tune.

They were all fools.

Lelouch knew the advantage numbers held, and though he would always be careful of a group of ten sorcerers, he need not fear a smaller segmented unit.

The leader of the group had done this in order to raise his chances of survival. However, he had been wrong right from the very beginning. Normally, hostages and the ones asking for ransom were supposed to be antagonistic to one another, but they had so simply trusted his honeyed words. They had completely trusted the words of a man who once conquered the world. Lelouch was not the one in danger, he was the danger.

Lelouch stared at the men slowly walking in front of him, holding what appeared to be an enchanted map.

It was a half-transparent paper projection that showed three separate clusters of red dots that were moving down three separate paths, drifting away from each other. It was a handy tool, each red dot represented an individual magician and even displayed their current position.

There were thick walls between each route, and only Lelouch knew of the secret routes that connected them thanks to Aiwass. The magicians had no means of communication whatsoever and were completely isolated from each other.

Even if a massacre was to occur.

It passed in a single second, but a single hint of hesitation shined in his amethyst eyes.

The group of magicians had separated themselves up into three fragments and the normal humans were most probably waiting at the main chamber where they had left them. These magicians had trusted Lelouch when they should have remained antagonistic towards him.

They had not only lowered their collective strength, but they were mentally unprepared as well. All conditions were cleared…

His fingers gently the golden ring on his finger, a caress so soft that it reminded him of his sister's touch, and closed his eyes. He knew what he had to do— he would murder every single magician who stood before him for the sake of his selfish dreams.

[Activate]

Darkness instantly engulfed the room, taking away the precious vision that these magicians had been relying on and robbing them of the sense they depended on the most as the defences of the Temple activated.

"H-Huuh?"

"What is going on!?"

A spark of panic spread through the group of magicians just as Lelouch knew it would. The darkness that engulfed them was not what they should have feared, the fact that they suddenly could not see should not have clutched at their chests with the cold hands of death and stabbed through their hearts with knives of fear. That was the mistake.

They were men capable of creating miracles by themselves, humans who wielded the power of mystery that could lay waste to nations. But in the end, they were normal humans nonetheless— men who could be tricked or surprised. What they should have feared was the Demon Emperor walking beside them.

CHRRRK!

A sickening sound resonated through the dark chamber…

It was akin to the noise of a paper parchment being suddenly torn in two. But it was something much more sinister, something rawer.

A single trickle of blood gently flowed down his chin as Lelouch took advantage of the sudden darkness and bit down strongly onto the ear of the amateur sorcerer walking ahead of him even as his other quickly pinched the bundle of nerves located in his neck.

The magus could not even scream let alone thrash, taken completely by surprise. Hit body hit the floor with a loud thump and that was what finally alarmed his companions.

"What happened?! What is wrong!?"

Trying to search for the perpetrator in the darkness was a hopeless exercise, but Lelouch did not take that chance. Showing just the barest hint of panic, Lelouch spoke in a voice that appeared to be shaken.

"Everyone! Behind you! Look behind you!"

They all turned around only to see a shadow of blackness emerging— a shade of darkness so foul that it desecrated everything around them.

A single hand of darkness grasped the ground and pulled itself as if it were a demon escaping hell, a huge bulky body emerged. A disturbing screech resonated across the chamber which grated at the very souls of these magicians who could only stare at the abomination before them with mouths agape.

"M-My…"

It took them a moment to react.

"Raise your shields! Take out your weapons!"

The bald magician with a single eye proved his worth as a leader at that moment— he held onto his bearings and barked sharp orders even as the others wavered and hesitated. It was almost commendable.

However, the actual enemy was not the demon that had suddenly appeared.

Lelouch jumped onto the chest of the magician laying paralyzed on the ground whose ear he had torn and gently covered his mouth. His body could not move, but his eyes were wide open. Those windows to the soul screamed of betrayal, looking as if they were shouting- 'What are you doing!?'

Lelouch gave no opportunity for resistance.

He had a dagger tied to his hip which Lelouch had been eyeing since the very beginning. It was the reason why he had been attacked first. In a single seamless motion, Lelouch pulled his dagger out and stabbed it down at his throat. Once, twice, thrice, and finally for the fourth time.

"Eub, pbb… huppbb…"

The bright red blood gushing out gurgled, but even that sound was muffled by the hand covering his mouth. But soon even those gurgles faded away as the once rushing blood now gently oozed down a pale slender hand.

Almost gently, an elegant brush that could be mistaken for a mother's touch closed the open eyes of the unfortunate magician. The other magicians had no idea that one of them was cruelly put to death behind them.

Thus, Lelouch coldly murdered a man for the first time in this new world of his— a fact that he only realized after the deed was done but he did not have time to get sentimental. The situation was not completely in his favour. Calmly, he turned his head even as he deftly hid the dagger in his clothes and turned toward the magicians.

Just in time, the demon enshrouded in darkness had finally emerged and had started approaching the magicians who were quivering in fear.

As if celebrating its escape, it raised its head and let out a long roar. The ceiling of the chamber shook, asserting the fact that even if it was merely a 'lower' demon, at this very moment, the one dominating this space was that monster.

This was a real demon.

Just in time, the being enshrouded in darkness finally emerged and started approaching the magicians who were quivering in fear.

This was a real monster, an existence akin to that of a demon.

It looked so foreign, so much different from humans and that atrocious outer appearance was enough to plant fear into the hearts of all men. And something was enshrouding its true visage.

It seemed to be a curtain of pitch-back blood that leaped into the vision of all those who gazed upon it. And…

Each magician could hear a sound akin to the loud beating of enormous drums. It was the sound of their own heartbeat. A cold breeze caressed their cheeks.

They all had a headache. It was not a normal headache. The intense pain felt as if a cold iron spike was being driven through their skulls from the inside and it simply would not go away. They were all supposed to be responding and just freezing in place would be very bad. They all knew that, but their feet refused to move for a second— their entire body begging for at least a short break if not a complete rest. That was how bad the pain was.

It took a moment for their natural defensive instincts to kick in, and almost as one they closed their eyes and blinked.

They collectively averted their gaze from the darkness before them, and they had not done so as part of a plan or a strategy. This flight was simply their instinct as intelligent life forms. If they had not looked away, if they had kept looking at that being then their very minds might have been destroyed at that moment.

It was not a special attack that had been unleashed. It had been the inherent nature of the summoned being. It had been the darkness that enshrouded its visage. That headache had exploded into her head in the instant the being had entered their vision. It was almost as if they were gazing upon the mind-breaking knowledge sealed inside an original grimoire.

The entire group of magicians shrunk backward collectively, one of the sorcerers was so frightened that his trembling arms dropped the weapon he was holding.

They were neither brave heroes nor were they trained warriors— they were simple humans. To walk the path of mystery was to walk with death itself, these sorcerers might have truly understood this just now.

"E-Euuuh…"

Subconsciously, the remaining magicians huddled together. It was an instinct implanted into humans since Stone Ages when men walked amongst simple beasts— to unite when faced with a deadly predator a lone man cannot defeat.

In this situation, however, that instinct was working against them.

As harrowing as its visage was, its footsteps were slow. If each of the sorcerers here had spread out instead of clustering together, then some of them might have escaped. But these men lacked both the foresight and the experience to understand this.

Akin to a nightmare straight from hell, the mass of withering darkness slowly advanced toward the men. Its feet came struck the ground with a loud thud which shook and trembled.

The adventurers could do naught but hold up the weapons in shaking hands, their entire bodies turned rigid and slow. It might seem brave and commendable but they should have instantly run away on the spot.

"T-This person is dead!" Lelouch shouted at that moment, an urgency in his voice. "The man who was walking in front of me has been murdered!"

His works shook the already disordered magicians.

"He suddenly fell! We are being attacked from behind! Quickly, please get away!"

A ripple of unrest.

"What…?!"

However, faltering for even a single second in such a situation was a harrowing mistake. The result was a tragic and painful end.

Each one of the magicians was momentarily distracted by his seemingly panicked shout, creating an opportunity that the demon enshrouded in darkness did not miss— it capitalized on that single chance, and swung its dark fist.

The target was the bald one-eyed magician who led this group. He was the leader here and as the person responsible for these magicians— he had turned towards Lelouch for a single brief second when he had heard that his comrade had just been murdered. The demon's heavy stone fist smashed into his body just like that.

There was not even a shout or a whimper.

His skull was crushed and his brains were sprayed across the floor with a sickening wet quelch.

"…uh, aah?!"

One step late, the survivors reacted. Honestly, to say that it was a proper reaction would be a mistake, a miserable exaggeration.

The only capable man who had not lost his bearings was now gone and they all dumbly stood frozen, unable to do anything as their leader was murdered right before them. One adventurer fell to his knees as if he had given up on all hope. The other adventurer reacted in the exact opposite way, he turned around and ran.

Some may have called him cowardly as he tossed away the weapon in his hand, deeming it a burden that would only weigh him down, and simply ran as if his very life depended on it. He was about to escape and it would be troublesome if Lelouch allowed him to do so.

"This way!" Lelouch beckoned, his voice sweet "Come this way!"

"Uh, ah! Aah!"

Giving him an obscure response that had no understandable meaning, the magician ran towards him without any thought. It was a behavior akin to that subconsciously taken by helpless victims during a disaster such as a fire. When told to escape in a certain direction, they ran that way recklessly.

Lelouch pulled the trembling man close as soon as he was inside his reach and whispered.

"Calm your breathing. Such constructs lack good sight and rely mostly on hearing. If you quietly hide in a corner, then you would be safe." He reassured, his voice turning even sweeter. "You can trust me. I was created for this. We would certainly escape."

"O-Okay." The man nodded, even as his entire body shook and trembled. It did not take a medic to know he was in the verge of hyperventilating. "I-I understand."

"Now, follow my lead and breathe slowly." Lelouch calmly whispered, his honeyed words as sweet as that of a loving mother trying to comfort her dear son. "One…Two…"

"Hoo…Hooo." He breathed deeply, following his lead as tried to calm himself.

"Good. That is it. Inhale and exhale slowly. One…Two…"

The magus had calmed his breathing by the time Lelouch tightly grabbed his hand. It was a well-known fact that people subconsciously relaxed when a professional grabbed their hand during a crisis.

"One…"

The magus breathed, wordlessly following his command as if he were his personal dog. Lelouch quietly pulled out the dagger.

"Two…"

It happened when he was going to breathe out. With the blade he had stolen, Lelouch mercilessly cut his throat and carved a last red grin on his face.

He would never breathe calmly again. Thick blood flooded his gullet and his breaths could not even turn into words. The only sounds that emerged were quiet gurgles and soundless coughs. The man died shortly afterward, drowned in his own blood.

At about the same time the man in Lelouch's arms stopped breathing, the darkness he had summoned had taken care of the other remaining person who had frozen at the spot instead of running away.

Apparently, the demon enshrouded in darkness had chosen to conserve its energy. Instead of attacking, it simply raised its foot and stomped on the poor man who stood frozen in place.

But apparently, the human body was a lot harder than it had expected. The man's body was not crushed immediately and painlessly.

A terrible squelch that vaguely resembled a whimper resonated across the room each time the golem's feet came down. The sickening sound grew weaker as the stomping continued. After a certain point, the sound itself stopped completely.

It was a gruesome conclusion.

Lelouch sighed and leaned back against the wall, pushing away the body in his arms.

Exhaustion weighed his entire body down. The heat from the strenuous activity had yet to subside. He did not know that warmth could be so unpleasant. On the other hand, the cold coming off the wall was good. It was the perfect temperature for him right now.

But it was not over yet…

He felt drained as if he had stayed up for four nights in a row. Regardless, the lessons he had learned a long time ago whispered to him and he would be a fool to ignore something so hard wrought.

Clean up everything, they told him, End what you have started.

Lelouch calmly breathed.

His pounding chest slowed down.

His breathing slowed and his cold composure returned.

Humans were beasts of instincts.

If one were to fashion an instinct for every probable situation, then regardless of when and where one would be able to cope just as a beast of prey would.

There was no need for trial and error.

But the work was not yet over. He had dealt with a single group, but two more remained.

These magicians, all unnamed, were simply unfortunate.

In truth, I know some of you must have thought that Lelouch was being manipulated so easily in the first part of the story and to be honest, yes he was. But he had no information about the situation he was in and the ones manipulating him were basically the boogeymen of To Aru. I wanted to show that while Lelouch cannot exactly match those scary endgame bosses yet, he is not exactly a pushover. He is a predator set loose when compared to normal humans.

Yes, the apparition summoned had everything to do with those original grimoires and that ring. It would be explained in the next chapter folks as Lelouch steps foot in the greater To Aru world as we know it for the first time…

The chapter was inspired by Dungeon Defense. Thanks for reading.