Does Arthur Kill Lucas Wykes in TBATE? Xyrus Academy Arc Ending Explained
If there’s one scene in The Beginning After the End that completely changes the tone of the story forever, it’s the brutal confrontation between Arthur Leywin and Lucas Wykes at the end of the Xyrus Academy arc. Fans had been waiting for this moment for so long that when it finally happened, the entire TBATE community exploded with reactions, edits, debates, and memes.
As a longtime fantasy and anime fan, I still think this is one of the coldest revenge moments in modern progression fantasy.
The Xyrus Academy storyline starts like a classic magic-school arc, giving strong vibes of elite academy anime mixed with adventure fantasy. But by the end, TurtleMe flips the entire atmosphere upside down. The cheerful student life disappears, and what replaces it is trauma, war, betrayal, and the terrifying return of Arthur’s old identity as King Grey.
Lucas Wykes Was Never Just a “School Rival”
A lot of fantasy series introduce arrogant noble characters who exist only to annoy the protagonist. Lucas initially feels like one of those characters, but TBATE slowly reveals that he’s far worse.
From the beginning, Lucas carries this toxic superiority complex. He constantly looks down on commoners, abuses weaker students, and hides his insecurity behind status and power. What makes him dangerous isn’t just arrogance — it’s cowardice mixed with cruelty.
The real hatred between Arthur and Lucas starts long before Xyrus Academy.
During the dungeon expedition, Lucas completely abandons his teammates when the Elderwood Guardian appears. Instead of helping the group survive, he literally sacrifices others so he can escape. That moment tells readers everything about who he truly is.
Arthur, operating under the adventurer alias “Note,” survives only because of his overwhelming strength and control over Realmheart. Meanwhile, Lucas walks away acting like a hero.
That’s what makes their rivalry so satisfying later:
- Arthur earns power through discipline and sacrifice.
- Lucas chases power through shortcuts, fear, and betrayal.
TBATE constantly contrasts those two mindsets throughout the academy arc.
The Xyrus Academy Attack Changed Everything
The attack on Xyrus Academy is where TBATE stops feeling like a school fantasy and starts becoming a war story.
Draneeve’s invasion completely destroys the illusion of safety. Students die. Professors die. Entire sections of the academy collapse into chaos. And in the middle of all this destruction, Lucas reaches his absolute lowest point.
Instead of defending his home, he sides with the enemy.
That betrayal alone would’ve been enough for fans to hate him forever, but then TurtleMe pushes things even further with Tessia.
Watching Lucas drag around Tessia Eralith while threatening and humiliating her made the tension unbearable. It wasn’t just villain behavior anymore — it felt genuinely disturbing.
At that point, most readers knew there was no redemption coming.
And honestly, that was the correct choice.
Some villains work because they’re redeemable. Lucas works because he absolutely isn’t.
Arthur’s Rage Felt Different From Typical Anime Revenge
What makes Arthur’s revenge scene stand out is how emotionally raw it feels.
Usually in fantasy stories, protagonists hesitate at the final moment. They forgive enemies, spare them, or suddenly start preaching morality.
Arthur does none of that.
When he arrives and sees the devastation, something inside him snaps completely. The calm and rational Arthur disappears, and King Grey takes over.
That transformation is what makes the scene unforgettable.
You can practically feel the atmosphere change while reading:
- Arthur stops talking like a teenager.
- His movements become mechanical and terrifying.
- Lucas realizes too late who he’s dealing with.
The moment Lucas recognizes Arthur as “Note” is honestly one of my favorite reveals in the entire series. All the arrogance instantly disappears.
For the first time, Lucas understands fear.
And Arthur gives him absolutely no mercy.
Why Fans Loved Lucas Wykes’s Death
The reason this moment became so iconic in the TBATE fandom is because the punishment actually matched the crimes.
Lucas wasn’t misunderstood. He wasn’t manipulated into becoming evil. He willingly crossed every line imaginable.
By the time Arthur destroys him, readers had already watched Lucas:
- betray teammates,
- support terrorists,
- abuse students,
- torture innocent people,
- threaten Tessia,
- and indirectly contribute to countless deaths.
So when Arthur responds with overwhelming brutality, it doesn’t feel excessive to most fans.
It feels earned.
One detail I still think was incredibly symbolic was Arthur crushing Lucas’s pelvis. It wasn’t just physical violence — it represented the complete destruction of the Wykes legacy through Lucas himself.
That level of coldness reminded everyone that Arthur isn’t a traditional shonen protagonist. Deep inside, Grey still exists.
The Political Fallout Was Actually Important
One thing I appreciated after the fight was that the story didn’t simply move on.
Arthur killing Lucas had consequences.
The Wykes family’s political influence immediately becomes a major issue, especially because Lucas was connected to Bairon Wykes. Instead of rewarding Arthur for stopping a traitor, the authorities arrest him.
At first, this feels unfair — and fans definitely hated it.
But narratively, it works extremely well because it exposes the corruption inside Sapin’s nobility. Lucas’s family cared more about status and reputation than the fact their son helped terrorists massacre students.
That entire aftermath pushes Arthur closer toward the larger conflict involving Alacrya and Agrona.
Without this moment:
- Arthur never fully separates himself from ordinary society.
- The Asuras may never intervene directly.
- Arthur’s future evolution would feel less meaningful.
So even though Lucas dies here, his impact on the story continues long afterward.
Why This Arc Is Still Peak TBATE
For many readers, the Xyrus Academy ending remains the moment TBATE truly became elite-tier fantasy.
Here’s why it worked so well:
| Element | Why It Worked |
|---|---|
| Long-term rivalry | The tension between Arthur and Lucas built naturally |
| Emotional stakes | Tessia, Elijah, and the academy made everything personal |
| Brutal payoff | Arthur’s revenge felt deserved and realistic |
| Lasting consequences | The story permanently changed afterward |
| Character evolution | Arthur embraced parts of King Grey again |
A lot of fantasy series promise dark storytelling but avoid letting the protagonist cross moral lines.
TBATE actually commits to it.
Arthur doesn’t walk away from this battle as a pure hero. He walks away traumatized, feared, and emotionally fractured. That complexity is one of the biggest reasons fans became so attached to the series.
Even years later, people still revisit this scene through edits, discussions, and reactions because it represents the exact moment TBATE stopped playing safe.
And honestly, few revenge scenes in fantasy hit this hard.
