Although Louvre had ambitions of becoming one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, he was well aware that he was not yet qualified to join their ranks.
To claim the title of an Ancestor, he needed at least another two hundred years. To pass the time, he continuously plundered Mystic Codes and conceptual weapons from magi.
The fruits of these labors were stored in the spire beneath his feet. There were treasures here that even the world's foremost collectors, like the twentieth seat of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, Merem Solomon—known as the "Crown" and the "Daemon Summoner"—would envy. With such treasures, eliminating those who underestimated him would be a simple matter.
"Oh, I thought you would proceed step by step, but you went straight to the point with arrogance? Such pride will cost you your life, Barthomeloi."
Silently smiling, stroking the beard on his chin, the "Dead Apostle of the Lake" Louvre watched joyfully as the women rampaged through the castle.
Generally speaking, the older a dead apostle is, the more devoid of human sentiment they become. The passage of time makes them indifferent to many things. Dead apostles like Zelretch and Van-Fem, who maintain their fervor, are rare exceptions.
For the vast majority of ancient dead apostles, offspring and kin are merely valuable resources. While their loss is regrettable, if it leads to significant gains, the sacrifice is deemed worthwhile.
Louvre was a typical dead apostle. To ensure these women fell into his trap, he did not mind losing most of his subordinates. His most important children, who inherited his power, had already scattered and fled. The rest would serve as Barthomeloi's burial gifts.
Over the past month, Barthomeloi Lorelei had become a prominent figure in the world of mysteries. Her crusade against the dead apostles had made her a well-known dead apostle hunter, and her information was well-remembered by that circle. Thus, when Barthomeloi used her vacuum magecraft, Louvre immediately recognized Lorelei and decided to eliminate this dangerous figure at all costs.
"By eliminating this woman and her allies, not only can I restore my father's honor, but I can also clear the path to inherit the title of an Ancestor—Barthomeloi, I'll use your blood to pave my road to the pinnacle."
With this thought, Louvre produced an iron hammer from somewhere and activated the treasure he had hidden in the spire.
A few minutes after confirming the treasure's activation, the spire's door was forcefully broken open. A woman in an orange coat, accompanied by a strange puppet that had destroyed the familiar army, walked into the hall where Louvre stood.
"Louvre, the 'Dead Apostle of the Lake'?"
The woman with orange hair and glasses asked. Her voice carried such a chill that even a dead apostle felt a shiver.
"Indeed. And you are—?" Louvre curiously eyed the woman. She seemed to be the team's leader, with even Barthomeloi following her commands. Undoubtedly, she was a formidable figure.
"I'm the one who's here to kill you." Touko in the orange coat pulled out a cigarette from her pocket. It was her favorite, Dragon Smoke.
"Are you alone? Where are the others?"
Louvre laughed, twirling the iron hammer in his hand, filling the hall with a dangerous aura.
"They're busy with other tasks, like hunting down your hidden offspring and plundering your accumulated wealth."
Touko nonchalantly lit her cigarette, wisps of smoke escaping her orange-painted lips and dispersing around her.
"To kill you, I'm enough."
"Such arrogance." Louvre felt a strong sense of unease.
On one hand, he doubted this woman had the power to kill him. Despite the impressive puppet and her top-tier magical abilities, he noticed her physical weakness—she wasn't adept at close combat. Barthomeloi and the other two girls had been protecting her from close-range attacks.
Louvre wasn't overconfident; he believed he could kill her in less than three seconds, even with the puppet's protection.
On the other hand, a vague sense of dread lingered. This unease had plagued him since receiving the prophecy. Initially, he thought Barthomeloi was the source of this danger, but now, with Barthomeloi absent, could the true threat be this woman?
Two entirely different emotions waged a tug-of-war in Louvre's heart. Touko, who had triggered this unease was in no hurry; she silently smoked her cigarette, and the spire hall was shrouded in an eerie silence.
When the cigarette was finished, she regretfully extinguished the butt and signaled the Combat Machine Kirie to retreat outside the tower. She then took a step towards Louvre.
"Have you thought of your last words?"
Touko's bizarre behavior only intensified Louvre's sense of discord—knowing full well she wasn't adept at close combat, why would she approach recklessly?
"I haven't thought of any, and I don't have time to wait any longer. Let's end this."
Continuing to speak confidently with a voice laced with killing intent and coldness, the distance between Touko and Louvre grew ever smaller.
Ten meters.
Eight meters.
Five meters.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter.
At this distance, Louvre only needed to extend his hand to pierce Touko's heart.
He didn't believe the woman could move faster than him at such close range, so Louvre struck without hesitation.
The dead apostle's most common weapon, his claws, pierced through Touko's chest, accurately extracting her heart.
From Louvre's years of experience extracting human blood, he could tell the heart in his hand was real. The pulsating beauty and the inherent perfection were unmatched by any human creation.
"Truly beautiful, but this beauty is destined to be destroyed."
The dead apostle uttered a sincere admiration, crushing the woman's heart as if it were a water-filled plastic bag hitting the ground.
Touko laughed softly, her blood-stained lips carrying a tragic beauty.
"Good eye. I didn't expect a dead apostle who appreciates beauty like you. I'm suddenly a bit reluctant to kill you."
"At this point, you're still saying such things? Even bluffs have their limits."
Louvre spoke as he withdrew his hand. Without his arm to block it, blood gushed out, instantly soaking Louvre and the carpet beneath him.
"Whether it's a bluff or not, you'll find out soon enough. Farewell, 'Dead Apostle of the Lake.'"
With that, Touko ceased all signs of life, her body losing all functionality as a human being.
PS: Touko used Stand: Notorious B.I.G!