Cobra—real name Erik. That snake by your side? Cubellios."
"Your wish? To hear the voice of your one and only friend—Cubellios."
A soft, milky-white glow gathered in Roger's palm.
"You know what?"
"That snake isn't really a snake. She's… a human cursed long ago."
"I can break the curse while keeping all her memories intact—and turn her back into a person."
"Wait—really?!" Cobra's face exploded with raw shock and joy.
"Cubellios… was human?!"
He was this close to saying yes on the spot—but his ear twitched. He caught Brian's panicked inner monologue and leapt back, barely dodging a sickly green energy beam that shot from Brian's hand!
"Tch!" Brian snarled, face dark as Roger's clone pulled Richard to safety. He switched to mind games, yelling:
"Cobra! Snap out of it! That guy's probably lying! Don't forget—he's a master of illusion magic!"
"I heard you," Cobra said coldly, gently stroking Cubellios's cool scales.
"You're scared. Scared my wish comes true. Scared everything's slipping out of your control."
"Damn it!" Brian hissed through gritted teeth. Forgot to guard my thoughts!
Right then—Roger fired the milky beam. It hit the purple serpent dead-on.
[Purify]
Holy light swallowed the snake whole. Her massive body shrank and reshaped before their eyes—until the glow faded, revealing a young woman with purple hair in a green dress.
She bolted forward, throwing her arms around a stunned Cobra's neck, voice bright and clear:
"WOW! I can finally talk!"
"Erik! I've been dying to tell you—I love you too!!"
Cobra's dark face flushed hard. He coughed awkwardly, mumbling:
"Y-you don't have to yell… I can hear you just fine now."
He took her hand and faced Roger, dead serious.
"Thank you—for giving Cubellios back. I'll do anything for you."
"Hi-ya!" Cubellios beamed, throwing a hand up. "Me too! Thank you so much for turning me back!!"
Roger smiled, summoning another illusion clone.
"We'll talk details later."
"You two follow the clone with Richard to safety—he'll fill you in."
"Got it." The three nodded and vanished with the clone.
Brian watched them go, a trembling hand touching his cheek—another black line silently fading. Terror crawled up his spine.
Even I didn't know about the snake's curse—how did he?!
Just looking lets him read curses on people?
This guy's really only in his 20s?!
Panic wrapped his heart like vines.
Can't lose more people—the Nirvana plan will collapse!
He slammed forward, staff cracking the ground with rage and desperation.
"Racer! Grab Midnight—get out NOW!
"On it!" The yellow-mohawked, glasses-wearing Racer flashed a massive cyan circle under his feet.
He blurred like a ghost—reappearing behind the meditating Midnight on his flying carpet.
Racer snatched the edge and yanked—ready to bolt.
THOOM!
A massive crunch—a thick earthen wall erupted behind them, blocking the path. Racer clutched his forehead, kneeling from the impact—while Midnight and the carpet stayed floating, unbothered.
Damn it! His magic activated faster than Racer's speed?!
This guy's way beyond a newbie Great Ten!
"Did I say you could leave?" Roger's calm voice cut in—quiet, but heavy with pressure.
Brian gritted his teeth, veins bulging. He whipped around, roaring:
"Battle stations! Midnight—wake up! CRUSH THEM!"
Midnight's eyes fluttered open, reflecting the black-red fireballs raining from above.
"Blah blah—time to end you!" Natsu leapt high, arms flailing—meter-wide black-red fireballs pouring like meteors, warping the air with heat.
[Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame – Revised: Collapse]
Midnight looked up, voice flat. "No attack can touch me. Pointless."
"Wait—this heat—!!" Brian's pupils shrank. He flung an arm back, retreating fast.
"Midnight, DODGE! His magic density is way above yours! He's no S-Class—he's another Great Ten!!"
"What—?!" Midnight barely reacted—BOOM—the fireballs slammed home!
A thin dark film instinctively coated him, trying to warp and deflect the flames.
But they stuck like tar—scorching, destructive, eating through his distortion field with a teeth-grinding hiss.
Impossible?! Midnight's face twisted in horror for the first time—sweat beading as pain seared like lava.
Why can't I twist this attack?!
He burned magic like crazy, finally easing the heat enough to gasp charred air.
A cold female voice rang behind him—no warning:
"Distracted in battle? Rookie mistake."
[Heavenly Wheel: Blooming Swords – Severance]
When—?! Midnight spun, panic-flashing magic to block.
Sword light flashed—and his distortion shield cracked like spiderwebbed glass.
"Space… shattered?!" Midnight's eyes pinpricked in disbelief.
The leftover slash tore through the rift—compressed magic exploding onto his body.
WHOOSH—he rocketed like a crossbow bolt, crashing into the earthen wall. A massive hole—dust everywhere.
[Ding! +400,000 Magic Power, Acquired Void Armor] (Erza)
[Void Armor: Vector Deflection, Refraction Corridor, Weeping Dimension functions]
[Vector Deflection: Ranged attacks curve around the armor in a distortion field]
[Refraction Corridor: Active short-lived field that reflects attacks back]
[Weeping Dimension: Warps space to shrink or stretch distance to foes]
[Ding! +200,000 Magic Power, Acquired Spatial Distortion Magic] (Natsu)
"Midnight!" Brian clutched his face—another black line gone—roaring in fury and shock.
"Damn it! One-shotted in a blink—these two are nothing like the intel!"
Racer saw his chance—cyan circle flaring—when a figure wreathed in purple-black magic blocked him.
Mira, fresh off Satan Soul, licked her lips with a wicked grin.
"Your dance partners are us~ Where you running to?"
"Hmph." Racer's eyes iced over. He crouched low—a massive cyan circle unfolding.
"You're in the way. Eliminate."
He vanished into the wind.
Mira's grin widened. Her golden demon claw casually clenched forward.
Like he ran into it—Racer's kicking ankle was locked in her grip!
"How—?! I'm the fastest!!" He thrashed—the claw like iron, squeezing till pain shot up his leg.
Then—whoosh—she whipped him overhead like a ragdoll, slamming him skyward!
"Mmm~" Mira purred, tongue tracing a fang.
"Speed's dropped a lot, huh? This magic's fun."
Knees bent—crack—she vanished. As Racer twisted mid-air, she reappeared behind him—claw whistling down onto his back!
BOOM!
He cratered like a meteor—dust exploding sky-high.
He staggered up from the pit, blood at his lips, face pure terror.
"Why?! My Slow magic worked—why aren't you slowed?!"
"Ara~" Mira floated above, looking down like prey.
"My speed did drop—if I was normal, you wouldn't even see my shadow~"
"Monster!!" Racer's pupils shook—this thing wasn't human!
"Thanks for the compliment," Mira cooed, red flash in her eyes—purple magic surging.
"But in front of someone I like? I prefer a classier title~"
"Call me… Demon Lord?"
Locked in her murderous, playful gaze—Racer's hair stood on end. Death's chill gripped his heart!
I'll die! Keep fighting, and I'm dead! She's the devil!
Rules? One life for one? Gone. Only thought: RUN.
A massive red circle flared under him.
[Red Domain]
Red light cloaked him—he blasted away from Mira at max speed, a crimson streak.
Suddenly—a blonde in a black-and-white battle dress stepped into view.
That weak Celestial wizard?
She's nothing—gotta escape the demon!
No slowdown—he charged straight at Lucy.
The split-second they'd pass—her fist rocketed forward, precise and heavy—crushing into his gut!
[Taurus Mode: Eight Extremes Fist – Collapse]
"GUH!" Pain exploded—eyes bulging, body folding like shrimp—he flew backward.
Why?! My Slow magic—why no effect on her?!
Mid-flight, consciousness fading—he glimpsed a figure identical to himself behind her.
"That's… the angel spirit?"
Words died—darkness took him. He crashed—out cold.
[Ding! +300,000 Magic Power, Acquired Slow Magic] (Mira)
[Ding! +150,000 Magic Power, Acquired Red Domain] (Lucy)
Hearing the chimes, Lucy exhaled, grinning at "Racer."
"Thanks for the assist, Gemini!"
Poof—white smoke. The fake morphed back into two floating blue doll-kids.
One frowning upside-down V, one smiling right-side up—arms flailing up-down.
Up-smile Gemi: "Piri piri, no prob!"
Down-frown Geni: "But next time, sign a contract before summoning us to fight, okay?"
"Yup, got it," Lucy laughed as the golden lights faded.
Brian clutched his last black line—pupils blown wide.
"Under three minutes—Racer and Midnight down?! These guys were hiding power from the start?!"
Ice-cold stares locked on him—sweat pouring. Brain racing:
Whole team barely scratched—if I pull out "Zero" now, still might not win.
If Hoteye and Cobra were here, we could stall… Gotta grab a hostage.
Eyes darting—he spotted the original target: the Celestial girl.
But—what the—?!
She'd retreated way back, now dragging the kid and cat behind rubble—gone from sight.
The remaining four closed in like wolves:
- Natsu, fists blazing
- Erza, sword gleaming, eyes sharp
- Mira, demonic aura swirling
- And the unfathomable Roger
Front: wolves. Back: wall. Attack the wall? Ambushed instantly.
No choice—pick the weakest link.
His gaze locked on Roger—center, calm as ever.
Illusion specialist, side elements—never melee. Physical body's gotta be the weak point! Relies on range and intel!
Plan set—ruthlessness flashed. Staff slammed the ground!
[Dark Rhapsody]
Blinding green light erupted—earth splitting, dust choking the air!
Using the chaos, Brian lunged like a viper—all magic in his right fist—ripping toward Roger's face!
One-shot kill!
THUD!
No crunch of bone—his sure-kill punch caught in a casually raised palm.
The wind pressure whipped Roger's coat.
Roger smirked, eyebrow up. "Nice power. Not bad for an ex-Bureau chief."
Brian's pupils shrank to dots—voice shaking. "H-how is your body this strong?!"
"You're an illusionist!"
"Who says…" Roger chuckled. His free fist ignited—core-of-the-sun flames roaring. "…illusionists can't work out?"
[Fire Dragon's Iron Fist]
BOOM—the flaming punch smashed Brian's face! Fire exploded—hair ash in a blink.
"Guh!" Brian's eyes rolled—last black line fading fast.
The moment his inner "Zero" snarled to emerge—red enhancement and blue reinforcement magic flared on Roger's arm—energy pulsing.
Before the roar—his charged fist blurred—crushing Brian's jaw!
[Eight Extremes Fist: Collapse]
CRACK!
Unstoppable force detonated! Brian's head snapped back—but Roger's left hand locked his arm. Body convulsing mid-air—bones creaking like breaking twigs.
Then—flop. Like wet mud, he crumpled.
Roger let go—thud—face-down, still.
[Ding! +2,800,000 Magic Power, Acquired Dark Magic (freely manipulate darkness)]
[Acquired Item: Omnipotent Heavenly Strike Trial Card (One-Time Use)]
[Omnipotent Heavenly Strike: A strike from another world's Geo Archon, infused with partial Law power]
[Warning: Post-use, user will compulsively splurge money. Prepare ample funds—or unconsciously extort/borrow (bill to the Funeral Parlor)]
A Geo Archon trial card this time? Why do Great Ten enemies always drop these?