Although Noel very much wanted to refute him, the truth was undeniable—while he now possessed tremendous magic power, his ability to control and wield it still left much to be desired.
"All-Encompassing Creation!"
Noel pressed both palms against the ground, and twin magic circles flared beneath his hands.
Thick vines burst forth from underground, crisscrossing upward and stretching rapidly. At the same time, wooden pillars shot straight out of the earth around Jose, growing at incredible speed and striking toward him. Jose's figure was soon engulfed within the dense forest of trees.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Smoke and dust billowed out in waves. Noel's eyes narrowed—his magic hadn't connected. When the haze cleared, Jose's silhouette had vanished.
Was it that trick again? Another decoy?
So this was the difference that experience made? Their raw magic might be on the same level, but in terms of combat experience Jose utterly overwhelmed him.
Noel instinctively shifted aside—and in that instant, several black magic bullets flew past from his right.
Jose suddenly appeared there, having slipped in unnoticed, and Noel's body was still unbalanced from his evasive step. He couldn't dodge in time.
Without granting him a moment's reprieve, Jose unleashed another volley of black magic bullets from the right.
This time, he didn't even bother constructing visible magic circles. All Noel caught was the faint black energy condensing in Jose's hand before countless projectiles came raining down like a violent storm.
The bullets were far too fast. Noel had no choice but to raise his defenses while regaining his footing, weaving through the barrage as explosions erupted in his wake.
What should I do? If this keeps up, I'll lose. I'm already being pushed into a corner.
Just then, a flash of white swordlight streaked in from Jose's side.
"Another one?" Jose muttered dismissively as he glanced at Erza.
Relief washed over Noel—Erza had arrived. If he could hold out until support came, there was hope.
Flight Armor!
Erza's black armor melted away, replaced by a light, mobile set. Her weapon changed too—her single black sword split into twin blades.
The previous armor, Black Wing Armor, emphasized destructive power. But to coordinate better with Noel, Erza had chosen the highly mobile Flight Armor.
"Thank goodness you came. I was about to collapse," Noel sighed.
"Sorry—I'm late," Erza said, her usual forceful demeanor softened by apology.
"Be careful," Noel cautioned.
Erza was well aware of the danger—Jose was the master of Phantom Lord, after all.
"I'll provide cover. You focus on attacking," Noel whispered.
Erza steadied her stance, signaling she was ready.
She charged in with a burst of speed, slashing down, but Jose was equally swift, evading her strike with ease. Using the rebound of her movement, Erza flipped into the air and drove a flying knee straight into Jose's chin.
"Now's my chance!" Noel seized the opening, bringing his hands together as a surge of magic poured out.
He had learned from earlier mistakes—small-scale magic wouldn't work. This time he cast wide, targeting the entire control chamber.
The ground beneath them collapsed. Countless stone spikes erupted upward, aiming to skewer Jose from every angle.
Midair, Jose quickly regained balance, his aura shifting entirely. A torrent of dark, sinister magic exploded from his body.
The air itself seemed to tear apart under the pressure. One by one, the stone spikes shattered, crumbling to dust.
How does he still have so much magic power left? He should have burned through plenty already… Noel thought in disbelief.
Erza, however, saw an opening. Using the cover of the dust, she lunged toward Jose.
But a formless shockwave blasted outward, slamming into both Noel and Erza and sending them flying.
"I once believed that such powerful mages were rare," Jose said bitterly. "Yet in Makarov's guild they seem to appear everywhere. I cannot tolerate it."
His frustration spilling over, Jose's expression twisted with mania.
A black magic circle formed in his palm, radiating the stench of death. A dark beam burst forth, annihilating everything in its path.
"Alchemy: Stone Wall!"
But the stone wall crumbled instantly beneath the dark ray, dissolving into nothingness.
Erza crossed her twin swords before her, straining to barely block the blast.
Another magic circle flared in Jose's hand. "Dark Stream!"
At the very moment Jose cast his spell, Erza suddenly accelerated, appearing at his back in a flash. White light shimmered as her armor shifted once more—this time into Heaven's Wheel Armor.
Her beast-like garb transformed into gleaming steel plate, metallic wings unfurling behind her. Her twin blades became shining silver swords.
"Heaven's Wheel: Bladed Dance!"
Dozens of silver swords materialized in a halo around her, fanning out like the wheel of an angel. Then, one after another, they shot forth.
"What?!" Jose was clearly caught off guard by the sudden assault.
But his battle experience was formidable. Though struck by the first few blades, he quickly adapted. The rest of the swords were devoured by darkness, shattering in midair.
Noel and Erza exchanged a glance—they understood. Though their offensive had been neutralized, they had inflicted visible wounds.
Jose was no longer the composed figure he had been. His appearance was ragged now, his gaze fixed intently on them both. "You two…"
The pair gave him no chance to recover. Noel conjured a golden magic circle. "Alchemy: Earth Wall!"
To Jose, the wall was nothing but a stepping stone—not worth worrying about. He calculated all the possible angles Erza could strike from. As long as he kept one of them contained, the pressure would ease.
"Death Storm!"
But Erza's trajectory shifted the instant she leapt from the wall—springing upward, she vaulted directly over Jose's head.
"What?!" Jose's eyes widened in shock.
Noel's lips curled into a small grin. This was exactly what he had gambled on—Jose wouldn't expect it. The wall wasn't ordinary; it had been imbued with rebound properties.
"Erza—go!"
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