Chapter 317: Heart Extraction


    Although Louvre had ambitions of bing one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, he was well aware that he was not yet qualified to join their ranks.


    To im 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 thesebors were storedin 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 beasimplematter.


    "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 be. The passage of time makes them indifferent to many things. Dead apostles like Zelretch and Van-Fem, who maintain theirfervor, are rare exceptions.


    Forthe vast majority ofancient 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 mostimportantchildren, 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 be a prominent figure inthe world ofmysteries. 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''lluse 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 forcefullybrokenopen. A woman in an orange coat, apanied 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 sses asked. Her voice carried such a chill that even a dead apostlefelt a shiver.


    "Indeed. And you are—?" Louvre curiously eyed the woman. She seemed to be the team''s leader, with even Barthomeloi following hermands. Undoubtedly, she was a formidable figure.


    "I''m the one who''s here to kill you." Toukointhe orangecoatpulled out a cigarette from her pocket. It was her favorite, Dragon Smoke.


    "Are you alone? Where are the others?"


    Louvreughed, 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 umted wealth."


    Touko nonchntly 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 closebat. 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 guedhimsince receiving the prophecy. Initially, he thought Barthomeloi was the source of this danger, but now, with Barthomeloi absent, could thetruethreat be this woman?


    Two entirely different emotions waged a tug-of-war in Louvre''s heart. Touko, who had triggered thisuneasewas in no hurry; she silently smoked her cigarette, and the spire hall was shrouded in an eerie silence.


    Whenthe 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 yourst words?"


    Touko''s bizarre behavior only intensified Louvre''s sense of discord—knowingfull wellshe wasn''t adept at closebat, 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 voiceced 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 mostmon weapon, his ws, pierced through Touko''s chest, urately 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 stic bag hitting the ground.


    Toukoughed 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: NotoriousB.I.G!