The enhanced Giant Lava Claw had grown considerably more powerful, especially in its ability to restrain an enemy.
Even with Mirajane's destructive power, she couldn't break free—at least not immediately.
Boom!
But just as Ur was about to exhale in relief, the restrained Mirajane suddenly erupted with an even more terrifying magic. Her energy seemed limitless, climbing higher and higher without end.
"No way, she's gone berserk?" Ur twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Although he was slowly getting used to this berserk world, this sudden outburst felt a bit too reckless.
The tidal wave of magic battered the Giant Lava Claw, causing it to tremble violently.
"Ahh!!" Mirajane roared in anger, her face twisting in pain. Her eyes slowly turned feral.
"Wait… this isn't just berserk; it's out of control." Ur felt a twinge in his jaw—compared to berserk, out-of-control power was far more unsafe.
So far, Ur still didn't fully understand the nature of the Satan Soul Mirajane had received. But judging by the strange, unceasing magic she was emitting, it was clear that this power was far from simple.
Crack… crack…
Tiny sounds echoed from the giant claw. Ur watched helplessly as fine cracks spread across the enormous rock claw, and then, it shattered completely.
At the same time, a shadow flickered past. Before Ur could even react, Mirajane, now brimming with terrifying magic, shot in front of him and delivered a heavy punch straight to his chest.
Whoosh!
Unsurprisingly, Ur flew. Like a cannonball, he was hurled tens of meters, smashing through countless obstacles along the way, before finally landing with a thud on a massive rock.
"Hiss… that hurts, that hurts…" Ur drew a deep breath. Thankfully, he had covered his chest with magic at the last moment; otherwise, the impact would have been far worse.
Collapsed on the rock, he was utterly exhausted.
At that moment, Mirajane flashed in front of him again. Seeing Ur's condition, she paused briefly, then lifted her leg for another kick.
Ur's eyes nearly popped out.
"That's too much! I'm already like this, and you're still attacking? Have some humanity!" Just as Ur prepared to desperately block the attack, a tall figure appeared in front of him.
A dark cloak rustled as Gildarts raised a single hand. The magic flare from Mirajane's berserk strike was effortlessly crushed, her post-berserk punch completely blocked.
"That's enough, Mirajane. You've won. Try not to use uncontrollable power like this again."
Blocked by Gildarts, Mirajane's consciousness gradually returned. The power of Demon God Halphas slowly retreated from her body.
Ur dusted himself off and stood up.
Too damn scary.
I just came here for the assessment, and she almost tried to kill me?
Mirajane, having exited her Demon God Halphas form, stumbled slightly. The state she had just been in clearly took a toll.
Seeing Ur's appearance, Mirajane's face flushed slightly, but after a moment's hesitation, she said nothing and left, rushing toward another part of the battlefield.
Gildarts turned to Ur, his expression complex. "We need to talk."
Ur paused. Something felt off, but thinking further, yes, they did need to talk. He nodded. "Okay."
They moved to a secluded area.
A tense silence hung between them. Finally, Gildarts spoke first. "You didn't use your full strength just now, did you?"
"Heh! Who knows?" Ur smiled casually. He felt that he had indeed given his all, at least in hand-to-hand combat without weapons.
The words hung in the air, and silence returned.
Honestly, Gildarts was nervous, probably more nervous than he had ever been in his life, especially since Ur increasingly reminded him of someone.
Ur felt uncomfortable. He noticed that Gildarts' gaze toward him was... off.
Just as he was about to explain everything clearly, Gildarts, flustered, held up a photograph. Stammering, he asked, "Why… do you have this photo? Who are you to her? What's your relationship with me… with Cornelia?"
"Pfft!"
Seeing the orange-haired man act nervous and… shy, Ur nearly spat blood.
Especially when he noticed Cana, frozen nearby as if struck by lightning. The blood in Ur's body surged even more violently.
What the heck is going on?
Though Cana didn't speak, Ur could clearly feel her thoughts. "I treated you as a friend, and you're trying to steal my dad?"
This was a heavy blow to Ur. It took him several seconds to recover.
Looking at the red-haired man trembling beside him, Ur slowly said, "Want to hear a story?"
"Yes!" Gildarts responded instantly.
Ur: "…."
Sigh!
"Once upon a time, there was a rogue who traveled the world, leaving fleeting romances wherever he went. Until one day, he met the love of his life. They shared a beautiful time together, but for personal reasons, he eventually left her."
"But soon after, his love discovered she was pregnant. After a brief moment of thought, she resolutely decided to give birth to the little girl… the little girl… the little girl…" Ur deliberately repeated the last three words before continuing.
"Unfortunately, the love of his life was frail and passed away shortly after giving birth. The girl, seeking her father, traveled thousands of miles, crossing mountains and rivers, finally finding the guild where her father belonged, and joined it."
Ur fell silent for a moment, then looked at Gildarts: "How can I feel this rogue is such a jerk? Don't you agree, Gildarts?"
Gildarts: "…."
Ur clicked his tongue. He had never realized it before, but this orange-haired man… really was a scoundrel. Never judge a book by its cover.
Having vented his indignation, Ur continued. "This rogue never recognized his daughter, despite countless encounters in the guild—even though she resembled his former love. His daughter had countless chances to reconcile, but fate always intervened. Over time, her wish subtly changed: she wanted to grow stronger, to become an S-Class mage, and earn her rogue father's acknowledgment."
"So, this girl found a handsome young man to help her, and he immediately agreed."
"However, as she left, she accidentally dropped a photo of her mother. The handsome youth picked it up and, on the way, accidentally discovered the truth. During the battle, he accidentally let the rogue father see the photo."
"My story ends here. Gildarts, do you have anything to say to this rogue?"
Ur smiled, expecting to see Gildarts' reaction.
But Gildarts' gaze had already locked on Kana, ignoring Ur completely.
Cana froze as well. She didn't understand why Ur knew the secret she had hidden for over a decade. She only felt panicked; she wasn't prepared to reconcile with Gildarts.
Seeing Gildarts' gaze, her instinctive reaction as a girl faced with an impossible choice was clear.
RUN.
Cana turned and fled. Gildarts shouted and gave chase.
"Phew~~" Seeing them leave, Ur finally exhaled.
Honestly, Ur wasn't sure if helping Cana make this decision was right or wrong. But in the original story, their reunion ended well.
Besides, to set up this father-daughter reunion, he had painstakingly stolen the photo from Cana's dorm.
That's right! Ur had never intended to help Cana pass the S-Class assessment.
If the previous decision was uncertain, this one he was confident about.
S-Class mages represented a guild's prestige and bore responsibilities far beyond ordinary mages. With Cana's abilities, even if she passed the assessment with Ur's help, it wouldn't have been entirely safe.
She could have even lost her life in the process.
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TN: This ends our double daily release! I'll return to posting thrice a week by tomorrow. I hope you all enjoyed reading!
Next Chapter: The Notebook
Next Next Chapter: Azure Water
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