Wes Elwin's magic output poured forth like a relentless storm of arrows, striking Jellal in rapid succession—each precise and merciless. In contrast, Natsu's direct, explosive attacks came crashing down like tidal waves.
The two worked in perfect rhythm—their combined assault surged one after another, leaving Jellal with no room to breathe, no chance to counterattack.
Natsu's savage melee charges paired seamlessly with Wes's precise ranged bombardment, cornering Jellal into an unprecedented state of desperation.
Focusing every ounce of his strength and concentration on guarding against the two of them, Jellal failed to notice the silent threat creeping up from below.
His gaze darted back and forth between Wes and Natsu, looking for an opening to strike back—when suddenly, he heard a sharp crack.
A sensation of tightness coiled around his ankle.
He looked down instinctively—and saw several vines, hard as forged steel, twisting up his legs like serpents.
No matter how much he struggled, they wouldn't budge. The metallic vines constricted tighter, sapping his strength and drastically slowing his movement.
Every step forward now felt like dragging a mountain.
Then, without warning, three massive walls of solid steel erupted from the ground around him, forming an unbreakable barrier that sealed him in completely.
Caught off guard, Jellal could only watch helplessly as he was trapped in this narrow cage.
Seizing the moment, Natsu's feet ignited in blazing fire. The flames burst outward, propelling him forward with explosive force—his speed skyrocketing to the limit, like a cannonball blasting out of its barrel.
He shot straight toward Jellal.
Meanwhile, Wes provided sharp, precise support from a distance.
"Levitation Spell!"
"Enhance Strength!"
With every supportive incantation Wes cast, Natsu's speed and power rose higher still. The trails of flame left behind in the air hadn't even faded before Natsu was already upon Jellal.
"Celestial Magic — Meteor!"
Jellal activated his signature spell in response, golden light flaring around his fists. But with Natsu charging in at breakneck speed, he had no time to dodge—he could only brace himself for a head-on clash.
Yet he'd forgotten one critical thing—Wes Elwin was still there.
Just as Jellal raised his fist, a vine shot forward at the perfect moment, coiling tightly around his wrist.
It only delayed him for a fraction of a second—less than a heartbeat.
But that single instant was all Natsu needed.
He twisted his body midair, narrowly dodging Jellal's golden strike—and then unleashed all the energy he'd built up into one devastating blow:
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!!"
The flaming punch connected squarely with Jellal's abdomen, every ounce of Natsu's power concentrated into that strike.
A guttural cry of agony tore from Jellal's throat as he spat blood, his body slamming violently into the steel wall behind him.
The supposedly indestructible barrier shattered instantly, exploding into fragments that scattered like glass.
The force sent Jellal flying backward, carving a deep trench into the ground as he crashed and tumbled, dust and debris erupting in his wake—until the battlefield was nothing but a ruin of smoke and rubble.
"Huff… huff…"
Exhausted, Natsu collapsed to the dirt, his chest heaving as sweat mixed with soot and streaked down his face like mud.
A few meters away, Jellal weakly struggled, but his body refused to obey—he couldn't even stand.
Only then did Wes Elwin step closer, his shadow falling over the fallen mage.
Jellal's bones were shattered across his body, his internal organs ruptured beyond recognition. The blood he spat up was dark and thick, mixed with fragments of flesh.
Such injuries would have killed any ordinary man long ago.
Jellal still clung stubbornly to a single thread of life — but he no longer had the strength to resist.
"Gravity Field."
The surrounding space suddenly grew several times heavier. The already-crippled Jellal could barely move, and soon collapsed completely, face pressed against the ground, unable even to lift his head.
Wes raised his wand, pressing it against Jellal's temple.
"Your memories hold great value. Since your body's useless now… let's keep something worthwhile."
Wes successfully extracted Jellal's memories.
The excruciating pain made Jellal instinctively open his mouth, but no sound came out — only blood-flecked saliva dripped to the ground.
The once-mighty Jellal now looked utterly broken and miserable.
"Stop it!" Erza cried out, unable to watch Jellal be treated that way any longer.
Her sword turned into a streak of light, thrusting straight toward Wes's heart.
Wes lifted one hand and caught her by the throat, hoisting her into the air.
Then, with a cold flick of his arm, he slammed her into the ground. She struggled to get up, but that overwhelming power pinned her where she lay.
"Don't interrupt me."
While Wes's attention flickered toward Erza, Jellal's consciousness stirred.
He triggered his emergency contingency.
The entire Tower of Heaven began to shake violently — the vast magical energy stored within it was on the verge of erupting.
"Let's die together!"
Jellal had activated the tower's self-destruction.
The massive structure became one enormous crystal bomb of pure magic — its detonation would annihilate everything nearby.
Wes tried to stop him, but even his power couldn't contain the unleashed surge of destructive energy.
"What a waste," Wes muttered regretfully, glancing once at the remaining magic crystals. "A few seconds later, and it would've been too late."
But he, too, had prepared a backup plan.
Activating his Port Key, Wes vanished from the tower.
A moment later, he reappeared at the harbor. His sudden arrival startled the nearby fishermen, who froze mid-task, staring in disbelief.
"Who's that?"
"No idea… but he's definitely a mage."
"No kidding — no ordinary man could pull that off."
Wes ignored their whispers. His eyes looked past the crowd, toward the distant horizon — where the Tower of Heaven was undergoing its cataclysmic change.
A blinding light burst from the tower's location, followed by an earth-shattering explosion.
A powerful shockwave swept across the sea, throwing up massive waves that slammed against the port. Even those standing far away could feel the terrifying force in the air.
"What in the world…?" the fishermen muttered, exchanging fearful glances.
Such an explosion… The Magic Council must have suffered heavy losses. As for those two Wizard Saints — perhaps their immense strength will let them survive this disaster.
Whether the Fairy Tail members could make it out alive — that would depend purely on luck.
Then again, that guild's luck had always been absurdly good. Maybe they'd survive this time too.
But that wasn't what concerned Wes most.
For him, the true reward of this operation lay in what he'd gained — a vast hoard of magic crystals, an invaluable resource for any mage in pursuit of greater power.
As the winds and waves gradually calmed, Wes decided not to linger any longer.
Ultear had already sent him the coordinates of their rendezvous point through special means.
After passing this test, they planned to bring him directly into the Grimoire Heart headquarters.
"Heh… interesting. Looks like I've officially become a dark mage."
With that, Wes turned and left the harbor behind.
°°°
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