Chapter 79: The First Strike

The man with short blonde hair wasted no time, his eyes narrowing as he prepared to strike. "I'll make sure you suffer," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice as he locked his gaze on Lucy.

Lucy, however, remained utterly unfazed, her expression as cold and unyielding as ice. She walked toward him with deliberate calm, her every step radiating quiet confidence.

Her silent defiance only fueled his anger. His brow furrowed, and his lips twisted into a scowl. "How dare you ignore me!" he spat, his voice rising with fury, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Take this—Bubble Trap!" he shouted, thrusting his staff forward. Instantly, a large water bubble formed around Lucy, encasing her within its watery confines and restricting her movements.

As the bubble enveloped her, the man's smirk grew wider, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight as her clothes began to turn semi-transparent, the water distorting her figure.

"This should be enough to humiliate you," he taunted, his tone oozing with cruelty. He paused for a moment, watching the scene unfold, savoring her supposed defeat. "But why stop there?" he added, his voice now laced with sadistic glee.

With a flourish of his staff, he called out, "Water Whip!"

Thin tendrils of water snapped into existence, lashing at Lucy's body with vicious force. Each strike echoed through the arena, turning her into a spectacle for the crowd.

The man's laughter rang out, sharp and mocking, as he reveled in his apparent victory. "Look at you!" he jeered, his voice loud and taunting. "Is this all the fight you have? Pathetic!"

But as the water whips continued their assault, Lucy's expression remained unchanged. She stood there, enduring the humiliation without so much as a flinch.

Then, almost imperceptibly at first, an evil smirk began to curl her lips. Her eyes, previously cold, now gleamed with a dangerous light, a stark contrast to her earlier calm demeanor.

The man's laughter faltered as he noticed the shift in her expression. His confidence wavered, and a shiver of unease crept down his spine. "What… what are you smiling at?" he demanded, his voice tinged with a sudden nervousness, his bravado starting to crack.

Meanwhile, in the audience, Zeus's expression transformed from concern to a sinister smirk. His eyes narrowed with dark satisfaction as he watched the scene unfold. "I pray that all of you enjoy your time in hell," he murmured, his voice dripping with dark amusement and a hint of cold malice. Sёarᴄh the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

[Oh, that's a delightful prayer indeed,] the system chimed in, its tone shamelessly gleeful, practically reveling in the dark turn of events. [You're truly mastering the art of malevolent wishes, Host! Bravo! I couldn't have said it better myself.]

Zeus chuckled softly, the sound low and sinister as his smirk widened. "It seems you're enjoying this as much as I am," he remarked, his voice tinged with mockery, as if challenging the system to admit its delight.

[Oh, absolutely!] the system responded, its tone brimming with pride and shameless glee. [Watching fools dig their own graves is always a treat. And with Lucy's temper? They're in for a spectacular downfall, and I'm here for every glorious second of it!]

Zeus shook his head slightly, the dark humor shared between them only deepening his satisfaction. "Let's see just how spectacular it gets," he mused, his tone filled with a dangerous edge.

"I've given up on being secretive. Let her erupt. Maybe then these idiots will finally understand not to mess with her."

[Ah, embracing the chaos! Now that's the spirit, Host!] the system mocked with a tone of pride, almost as if it were patting Zeus on the back. [Let them learn the hard way. After all, stupidity should be painful, don't you think?]

Zeus's smirk grew darker. "Painful indeed," he agreed, his voice carrying a promise of the destruction that was about to unfold. "And when it's over, they'll wish they had never crossed her path."

The system practically received approval. [Now that's what I like to hear. But I think that they could not wish it anymore as they are dead. Let's just watch the show that our dear Lucy will bring to us now, Host.]

The short blonde-haired man watched the shift in Lucy's expression, a smirk replacing her stoic demeanor, and felt an icy chill snake down his spine.

Something was terribly wrong. His confidence wavered, and a flicker of fear crossed his face. Desperately trying to regain control, he shouted with forced bravado, "No matter what, you will die today!"

His voice cracked slightly, betraying his growing panic as he quickly raised his staff, unleashing another spell. "Hydro Pulse!" he cried, sending a concentrated stream of water hurtling towards Lucy with deadly precision.

But to his utter horror, Lucy surged forward, her strength seemingly magnified tenfold. The powerful stream of water that should have blasted her back didn't even slow her down.

She cut through the attack like it was nothing, her momentum unbroken, her eyes locked on him with terrifying resolve.

The man's eyes widened in disbelief as the distance between them closed at an alarming rate. "What… what are you?" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper as fear took hold. Before he could react, Lucy was upon him, her hand wrapping around his throat with crushing force.

His breath hitched, and he struggled to speak, but the vice-like grip on his neck silenced him. Lucy leaned in closer, her eyes cold and devoid of mercy. In a voice that was barely audible, yet filled with a chilling finality, she whispered, "Eruption."

For a split second, the man's eyes bulged with sheer terror, and then, in a violent burst, his body exploded into countless pieces, obliterated by the raw power of her attack.

With the remains of the man scattered around her, Lucy turned her gaze toward the four remaining disciples. Her smirk widened, becoming something dark and malevolent.

The air around her seemed to be filled with deadly energy. "You're next," she said, her voice cold and dripping with lethal intent.