Lofan stripped off his tattered black tuxedo and tossed it to the floor, revealing a crisp white shirt underneath. His top hat and cane had long since vanished, their whereabouts unknown.
As he approached the group of four, Lofan began to speak.
"Let me guess. When you first entered the laboratory, you were undoubtedly awestruck by my creations."
"But soon, your attention would shift to the mask and the tuxedo in the corner, completely captivating you."
"After a moment of shock, you'd pick them up and examine them closely, searching for hidden clues."
"And then, you'd discover a folded white paper tucked inside the tuxedo's pocket."
"Having found your way there, it's only logical to deduce from the note's contents that countless explosives lie beneath this very place."
"Once you realized that, you had no choice but to rush here to find me."
"Am I right, gentlemen?"
As they stared at the unrestrained grin on Lofan's face, an overwhelming darkness seemed to press down on them, making it hard to breathe. Beads of cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
They never imagined their once-advantageous position could crumble so completely. Lofan's unfathomable cunning filled them with dread.
"It's fortunate you followed my plan and left when you did. Otherwise, you'd be buried alive with my 'toys' by now."
"So, all of this was part of your scheme?"
"You've been outmaneuvered, Grett."
"It seems we underestimated you after all."
Lyney struggled to regain his composure, his gaze fixed on Lofan with grave intensity.
"Heh, realizing that now is far too late."
"What you saw was merely what I allowed you to see."
Lofan's smile widened, his tone growing even lighter.
"Since I've granted you the honor of joining this grand finale at the last moment, rest assured I've already prepared all the necessary props."
"Beneath your feet, I've already buried countless explosives composed of Pneumousia Energy. Soon, everyone will be able to enjoy this beautiful fireworks display."
As they heard this, a growing chill washed over the trio.
"You madman!" Charlotte snapped at Lofan. "Tens of thousands of lives are at stake! How can you be so heartless?"
"Madman? I like that title," Lofan replied cheerfully, accepting Charlotte's condemnation. "But you three... if you wanted to stop me, why did you act at such an inopportune moment?"
"Because we're not like you, Monsieur Grett!" Lyney retorted sharply. They had been forced to strike prematurely when they realized Lofan intended to ambush Navia.
But now it hardly mattered. If everything had been orchestrated by him from the start, then their very presence here meant they were completely under his control.
"We would never betray our comrades," Lyney continued, "nor would we stand idly by while our friends are in danger!"
"Such touching camaraderie," Lofan mused. "It seems my student has found some truly admirable companions."
"Enough!" Charlotte's voice sliced through the air.
A voice brimming with heart-wrenching fury and sorrow cut off Lofan's next words. Navia had somehow retrieved her fallen claymore, her knuckles white from gripping the hilt so tightly.
She glared at the man standing a short distance away—the man she had once revered and loved. His betrayal threatened to tear her heart apart, and his words now felt like a cruel mockery.
"I only have one question for you," Navia said, pointing her claymore at Lofan, her voice measured and cold. "Our first meeting... was that also part of your scheme?"
"Correct," Lofan admitted without hesitation, tearing fresh wounds in Navia's heart. Her chest heaved with unbearable pain.
"Grett... what did you think our master-student relationship was?" she demanded. "Some kind of game? Or a complete farce?"
Lofan's expression remained impassive as he observed Navia's anguish.
"Just an accident," he replied calmly. "To be honest, I never expected you to want to become my student, Navia."
Lofan's words struck Navia with unimaginable force, leaving her mind blank.
So, this is the truth.
Everything was just my wishful thinking.
But there's no need to dwell on it, Navia. Even now, I still consider you my most outstanding student.
Hearing this, Navia regained her senses, her heart now overflowing with a fury capable of incinerating everything.
"You're not my teacher!" she screamed. "You only disgust me now!"
Completely consumed by rage, Navia gripped her claymore with both hands, mustered all her strength, and leaped forward, bringing the blade crashing down where Lofan stood.
Her Geo Vision trembled violently, erupting with an unprecedentedly brilliant amber glow.
Yet Lofan effortlessly evaded Navia's full-force strike by simply taking two steps back.
"Didn't I tell you, Navia?" he said calmly.
The claymore slammed into the ground, shattering the stone beneath. Lofan calmly watched the flying debris whiz past him. His Pyro Vision at his waist blazed anew, unleashing an overwhelming torrent of Pyro energy that erupted from his body.
"I told you, never underestimate your enemies."
"No! Miss Navia is in danger!"
The other three finally reacted. As they moved to help, Navia was sent flying back like a kite with a severed string.
Seeing Navia hurtling straight toward her, Charlotte lunged forward to catch her without hesitation. However, the residual force from the impact proved stronger than expected, sending both of them tumbling backward.
Fortunately, Lynette swiftly intervened, catching both women safely and setting them down.
Charlotte, gritting through the pain, quickly regained her footing. After thanking Lynette, she turned to Navia, her voice laced with concern.
"Navia, how are you feeling? Are you hurt?"
But Navia lay dazed on the ground, murmuring to herself as if in a trance, completely unresponsive.
"Even this is fake... everything is fake..."
Navia had fought Lofan before, but the aura he now exuded far surpassed anything he had shown her in their previous encounter.
This wasn't because Lofan had been holding back; rather, the strength he was currently displaying came at the cost of forcibly overdrawing his body's reserves.
Lofan gazed at Navia, her eyes now devoid of their usual sparkle, and fell into momentary silence.