Chapter 106: The Riven Earth

"And who are you?" Although Lancer dearly wanted to kick him square in the chest and shove a bag of flour into his face, he refrained. He had to keep his knowledge of their identities a secret; as long as they believed Lancer was unaware of their abilities, he maintained a crucial advantage.

"I am Jarvan, Prince of Demacia!"

"Hoo... stay calm, stay calm, stay calm..." After forcing himself to settle down, Lancer launched another attack, choosing to strike rather than risk revealing himself through further interaction with this clown.

He crossed his blades, pushed off with his right leg, and lunged forward. His target was the man claiming to be Jarvan. The opponent swung his massive greatsword down, but the moment their weapons clashed, Lancer knew he couldn't take the blow head-on. He tilted his left blade and pulled his right one back, expertly deflecting the strike.

He then thrust his right weapon toward the opponent’s chest, but the other guy nearby had already recovered and rushed to assist. Lancer had no desire to trade wounds; his mission was simply to stall for time. After pulling back, he sheathed his blades. While special, they were useless against these two—they didn't feel like ordinary humans, and weapons designed to deceive mortals had lost their utility.

"Caladbolg, Sword of Hunger!" Lancer unleashed his Noble Phantasm. He knew he needed to keep them occupied, and this weapon’s power—thunder—could paralyze his foes, aiding in his stalling efforts. Furthermore, beyond its unique properties, it held more raw destructive power than his two famous swords.

The man calling himself Garen, who hadn't known Lancer's identity before, watched as the weapon in Lancer's hand crackled with countless electric arcs after its name was invoked. A realization dawned on him: *Heroic Spirit.*

"How is this possible? Heroic Spirits should only exist in the Type-Moon world. How can one be here?"

"I am a cleaner, and I am here to purge you." Lancer used language to mislead them again, ensuring they wouldn't associate him with their own kind.

"Tch, so that’s how it is!" the man gritted his teeth.

"Lancer, that man told me he’s almost finished. Be ready to retreat," Kayaba’s voice echoed in his ear just as Lancer prepared to speak again.

"How so soon? And how are you communicating with me?" Lancer knew that analyzing the leylines within a one-kilometer radius took significant time.

"This place is based on my world, after all. I granted him access, which naturally sped up the process. As for why you can hear me, it's the same reason—this is my world. Even if I can't fully control it, maintaining a communication link is possible." Just then, Lancer felt the ground begin to tremble violently.

"What is happening?!" the opponent roared, feeling the tremors as well.

"Repent, you bastards!" Lancer jumped back to stand beside Vlad. As he retreated, the tremors intensified across the entire landscape.

"Repent for your sins through the impalement!" Cursed pillars erupted from the earth, instantly shattering the stone slabs and tearing through the grass.

"A truly terrifying Noble Phantasm," Lancer remarked, standing by Vlad.

"It is nothing. This Phantasm has severe limitations. Those without guilt are not cursed; only those whose hearts are filled with sin are relentlessly hunted and cursed by these pillars," Vlad said calmly. Lancer marveled at the sight. If given enough time, this Noble Phantasm could function like a Reality Marble, though it was difficult to relocate.

"It seems our opponents aren't so easily dealt with, however." After his remark, Lancer’s weapon crackled with electricity once more as he stepped in front of their position.

*Zzz—* Amidst a shower of sparks, Lancer stared at the man before him. With his spear and the context of the previous two, there was no need to guess his identity.

"Who are you?"

"Zhao Kuo, a man already dead." There was something in the man's eyes that Lancer didn't understand. He was surprised the man didn't use the name he had expected, but the surprise was short-lived. Fighting sounds erupted from another direction; in the chaos, Vlad had left the immediate area to pursue the other two. Even though Vlad was outnumbered, the two were clearly heavily wounded. Yet, the man before him showed no signs of injury—the cursed pillars hadn't touched him at all.

"Tch, what a troublesome fellow." Lancer muttered to himself. His intuition told him this man was the real target; the other two were merely distractions. And if he didn't provide something thrilling, wouldn't all the preparation go to waste?

"Since you are already dead, you might as well lie down here for good." He gripped his sword with both hands, dragging the blade behind him like an ordinary soldier. Yet, the electric arcs flickering along the steel caused even the man who claimed to be dead to look on with a solemn expression.

"Hah!" With a burst of speed, Lancer swung his blade in an arc, smashing it against the spear. The opponent blocked, but did not show weakness, launching a lightning-fast thrust. With the tip of the spear vibrating, Lancer couldn't even tell which was the true point, but—

"Call forth the thunder, Magic Sword!" At Lancer’s shout, the electricity on the blade intensified, enveloping the sword and Lancer’s own body in lightning. He had once used this move to show off in front of Artoria and Irisviel, but this was no game—this was a real battle. The lightning-wreathed weapon parried every strike; at this moment, it was less a sword and more of a shield.

Facing Lancer’s counterattack, the man didn't choose to clash head-on but retreated immediately. It wasn't by choice; his body was becoming paralyzed by the earlier combat. It was subtle, but if it continued, he would be in trouble. Moreover, with the lightning armor, Lancer’s average attributes had significantly increased. The man grew desperate; attacking would cause him injury, but defending only subjected him to more paralysis. Once the numbness took hold, defeat would be inevitable.

"No! I must win!" Fueled by a life-or-death resolve, his eyes filled with an indescribable intensity.