"Hand it over."
Rowan dropped beside Larcade's broken body and pressed a paw to his head.
A faint ripple of light passed through Larcade's skull as Rowan extracted the spell structure behind the lust magic.
No direct damage.
No brute-force output.
But as a control-type ability, it was absurdly dangerous.
Used correctly, it could cripple even top-tier fighters by cutting their combat effectiveness to a fraction.
Far more valuable than the Desert King's sand magic.
If Rowan hadn't brought Taoist techniques and the Golden Light Ward into this world, that spell alone would have turned him into a liability.
"…Yeah," Rowan muttered. "This one's premium loot."
—
"That's enough."
August stepped forward, eyes cold.
"You eight. Take him down. Now."
He pointed at Rowan.
Only Irene remained beside him.
The order was excessive.
And deliberate.
August wasn't afraid they would lose.
He was afraid Rowan would keep winning just long enough to escape.
If Rowan dropped two or three more of them, there was no guarantee they could stop him from retreating.
So he made the call.
Eight at once.
He and Irene would hold the rear.
If eight failed, all ten would move together.
The remaining Shield mages hesitated for a split second.
Then obeyed.
They still believed any one of them could win solo.
But August had spoken.
—
Rowan stretched.
"…Guess playtime's over."
He rolled his shoulders and let his aura rise.
Not transforming.
Not escalating yet.
Just enough to signal that he was done pretending.
This was a test.
A real one.
He wanted to see what this body could do without his dragon form.
—
"Freeze and die."
Invel Yura moved first.
Absolute cold detonated outward.
Frost formed directly on Rowan's fur, climbing his limbs and spine.
The air itself stiffened.
Even space felt heavier.
This wasn't Gray's ice.
This was conceptual cold.
Rowan felt his teleportation magic hesitate.
"…Cute."
Golden light erupted from his body, blasting the frost apart.
He opened his mouth.
"Dragon Slayer Art: Tri-Flame Breath."
Red, black, and violet fire merged into one roaring torrent.
Dragon fire.
Cursed fire.
Hellfire.
The flames tore through the frozen air and slammed into Invel.
"What—?!"
Invel threw up his strongest defense.
"Ice God Armor!"
Divine frost wrapped his body.
It lasted three seconds.
Then it melted.
Invel screamed as he was hurled across the battlefield, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Rowan smiled.
"One."
—
Natsu stared.
"…Did the boss just use Dragon Slayer magic?"
—
"Time Stop."
Dimaria appeared behind Rowan, blade raised.
The world froze.
Her sword lowered toward his neck.
"In my time—"
The blade stopped midair.
Dimaria's eyes went wide.
Rowan turned his head.
"…Yeah. That doesn't work on me."
He flicked his paw.
Metal control activated.
Her sword tore from her hands, reversed direction, and impaled her through the abdomen with the force of a freight train.
She screamed and collapsed.
Not dead.
But out.
"Two."
—
"Take this!"
A presence vanished.
Then—
Impact.
Something invisible struck Rowan's side.
Clang.
The Golden Light Ward flared.
Rowan spun and enlarged his tail, smashing the invisible attacker into the ground.
"…That stealth is insane."
He tilted his head.
"You almost had me."
The assassin groaned.
Rowan grinned.
"…Stealing that too."
—
Dimaria groaned, blood pooling beneath her.
She activated a final spell.
"Take Over: Chronos."
Divine light engulfed her.
Her body hardened.
She caught her own sword mid-air and forced it aside.
Rowan's ears perked.
"…God Take Over?"
Now that was interesting.
He vanished.
Reappeared above her.
"Overdrive Plasma Cannon."
A column of compressed lightning obliterated her position.
Dimaria hit the ground in a smoking crater.
Out cold.
"Three."
—
August's eyes narrowed.
Irene finally shifted her stance.
"…This cat is not normal."
—
Rowan floated back down.
Tail swaying.
Golden light flickering.
"…Okay. Who's next?"