"Haaah!" Jura thrust his hand forward, unleashing a storm of jagged stones. Like a barrage of shotgun blasts, the rocks slammed into the enemy leader, knocking him flat and burying him under a mountain of debris.
Without missing a beat, Jura clapped his hands together. The surrounding rubble compressed and twisted, forming a jagged hill of stone.
"Overlord Rock Shatter!"
With his shout, the mound detonated like a cluster of explosives, blasting stone shards in all directions. When the dust cleared, the battered figure of the leader was revealed.
His robes were shredded, his body covered in gashes. His silver-gray hair hung in disarray, matted with blood and dirt. A crimson trickle ran down the corner of his mouth.
"Ugh... ah..." he groaned weakly, eyes rolling back as he collapsed limply.
The final line on his face began to fade.
"He's down!" someone shouted.
Cheers erupted across the battlefield. "As expected of a Wizard Saint!"
The leader's defeat had come swifter than Midnight's, which left some with a sense of unease. But given Jura's overwhelming might and the terrain advantage, most chose to celebrate.
That joy, however, was short-lived. The city beneath their feet continued its relentless advance.
Jura narrowed his eyes, forming a blade with his hand and pointing it toward the fallen man. "So you're still conscious. Even now, you refuse to stop Nirvana?"
But the response came not from the man—but from the staff clutched in his hand.
"Oh no! You actually defeated all Six members!" the skeletal staff shrieked.
"The staff is talking?!" Happy gasped, his paws gripping his cheeks.
Lucy blinked. "Wait, you're the one controlling Nirvana? Then stop it already!" She frowned. "Also, you're just now realizing this is bad?!"
The staff shivered in fear. "Fools! If all six of them fall... then he will awaken!"
"He...?" everyone echoed.
From where the leader lay, his body suddenly jerked upright like a puppet on strings. His lifeless eyes turned black and white, and a suffocating surge of dark magic erupted from him.
The sheer pressure made Jura flinch. "What... what is this...?!"
"Ugh, that feeling... it's sickening," Gray muttered.
"It's just like Jose," Erza said, narrowing her eyes. "No, worse."
The skeletal staff trembled. "This is the true master of the Oración Seis, the sealed personality known only as Zero! His power and cruelty are so immense, the leader had to seal him away with six magical locks. If all six members are defeated... the seal is broken. And now... Zero is free to destroy everything!"
Zero took a step forward, cracking his neck with an eerie calm.
The skeletal staff knelt, bowing deeply. "Welcome back, Master Zero!"
Zero cracked a wicked grin. "Stand aside, Klodoa." As he spoke, his wounds rapidly healed. "Ah... I've missed this feeling."
"Yes, Master," the staff replied, slithering backward like a retreating serpent.
Jura stepped forward, cautious. "So... you're the true leader of the Oración Seis?"
This man was clearly no ordinary mage. And this guild was one of the Balam Alliance's darkest pillars.
Zero sneered. "You're the bald one who beat on this body just now, right? Let's fix that."
He raised his right hand, palm open.
"Rock Iron Wall!" Jura responded instantly. Multiple towering stone walls rose from the earth between them.
But Zero's magic didn't target Jura. Instead, a swirling storm of dark green energy erupted from his hand, arcing around the rock barriers toward Natsu, who was still being supported by Gray.
"Watch out!" Gray shouted, letting go of Natsu and throwing up his hands. "Ice-Make: Shield!"
The icy wall formed instantly, but it was no match. The dark storm punched through it like paper, splintering into dozens of tendrils that swept up both Gray and Natsu, hurling them backward.
"Ugh!"
Gray and Natsu flew backward, crashing hard into the ground, unable to rise.
"Gray! Natsu!" Lucy cried out.
Her desperate voice seemed to draw Zero's attention. With a flick of his hand, another dark green orb of magic shot toward her.
"Requip: Black Wing Armor!"
Erza leapt in front of Lucy, her sword gleaming as she blocked the incoming attack. Even so, it took immense effort to deflect the blast.
Jura's voice thundered with fury. "You attacked those who can't even defend themselves!"
"It doesn't matter whether they can move or not," Zero said with a deranged grin. "It's simply more fun to destroy! Everything that exists… should return to nothing!"
He raised his right palm and motioned upward. Suddenly, emerald-green magic surged from beneath the feet of everyone nearby—Jura, Erza, Lucy, Happy, Lyon, and Sherry.
"Ahh!"
With a powerful roar of energy, everyone but Jura was thrown violently back, many falling unconscious on impact.
Erza struggled to her feet, her armor cracked and damaged. "What... is this destructive power...?"
Zero cackled like a madman. "So thrilling! The stronger you are, the more satisfying your destruction! Return to nothingness!"
He pointed his left hand at Erza. A dark green spiral of light, imbued with chaotic energy, blasted toward her.
"I will never fall here!" Erza shouted, stepping forward.
As she advanced, her shattered Black Wing Armor vanished in a shimmer. She now wore only a white chest wrap and red flame-patterned hakama pants. Her weapon changed to the cursed blade- Clear Hearth clothing.
With a fierce swing, she cleaved the incoming attack in two, sending the blast crashing to either side. The explosion kicked up a storm of dust.
From the cloud of debris, Erza emerged like a phantom, her blade piercing toward Zero's throat.
But Zero's close-quarters reflexes were shockingly sharp. He twisted away with ease, dodging the strike.
Their figures crossed in a blur of speed. Erza spun with a horizontal slash, finally landing a shallow wound across Zero's ribs.
In the next instant, Zero countered with a crushing punch to Erza's abdomen, sending her flying backward.
He raised his arm again, gathering green magic for another devastating spell.
"Rock Iron Fist!"
Jura stepped in with resolve, bracing himself as a massive stone arm erupted from the earth and hurled a colossal punch at Zero.
The sheer force created a gust of wind that blew Zero's hair back.
"Eternal Dark Rondo!" Zero unleashed a spiraling green vortex from his palm.
The whirlpool of magic engulfed the stone fist completely, grinding it into rubble, and then blasted Jura off his feet!
Erza and Jura both rose again, breathing heavily, but their eyes remained locked on Zero.
They knew it.
If they fell here, it would be all over.
The few who were still standing hadn't even noticed that the tremors of Nirvana had stopped.
Erza was the first to sense something different. The air had grown noticeably hotter. She turned her gaze to the left, and froze.
A blaze of crimson fire painted the sky, casting a molten glow over everything.
Beyond their line of sight, the six massive legs of Nirvana were engulfed in roaring flames. The stone and metal components of its limbs had begun to melt into streams of lava, radiating blistering heat. As pieces of its armored exterior crumbled off, Nirvana desperately drew magic power from the earth below to repair itself, but its regeneration was visibly slower than before.
"What is that...?" Jura muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.
The searing heat and apocalyptic fire left all three of them stunned.
Then, from the blazing inferno, a massive beast emerged, its red body wreathed in fire and dripping with molten magma.
"A dragon?!" Zero's eyes widened in shock. "Don't be ridiculous! Dragons can't still exist in this era!"
Even Jura was stunned. "A real dragon…? How is this possible?"
Erza's thoughts snapped into place. After a moment of awe, she quickly recalled Rhodes' earlier transformation using the Purgatory Dragon Soul. Back then, it had looked like he'd merged with a dragon of fire. Could he have summoned one now?
As the beast landed with a thunderous impact, she spotted two familiar figures resting on its massive front claws.
Joy and relief flooded her heart.
"Mira! Rhodes!"
Rhodes gave a lopsided grin and raised his voice. "You all look pretty busy. Mind if we cut in?"
He was trying to appear casual, but in truth, he was working hard to draw Zero's attention.
Mira followed close behind, smiling as she waved. But her sharp gaze never left Zero for even a second.
"You're more than welcome!" Erza replied, her tone warm and confident.
Jura gave a nod, clearly reassured. "A powerful ally has arrived."
Zero, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes. "So it's being controlled after all… I knew it! That thing's no dragon, it's just a conjured spell!"
Despite the overwhelming magical pressure radiating from the creature, Zero refused to believe it was real. In his mind, dragons were ancient relics long gone from the world.
But that illusion shattered the moment the Purgatory Dragon opened its mouth.
Its deep, booming voice echoed across the battlefield. "What's all the commotion about? Brother, you aiming to take down that guy? He looks like the biggest problem around here."
Even from a glance, the dragon had already sorted friend from foe.
Rhodes gave a calm nod. "Our priority is dismantling Nirvana. But if he gets in the way, I won't mind knocking him around a bit."
"Hmph. Got it."
With a massive motion, the Purgatory Dragon tossed Rhodes and Mira from its claws, gently landing them in front of Erza.
Then it turned back to Zero, inhaled deeply, and unleashed a torrent of searing dragon fire.
Zero reacted instantly. "Guard in Darkness!"
He conjured a dark magic barrier just in time.
The dragon's flames slammed into it, detonating with a deafening roar. The surrounding street was consumed in the shockwave. Buildings on both sides were blasted apart, toppling into rubble and sparking wildfires.
The barrier in front of Zero shattered, and his entire body was engulfed in flames. But with a burst of magic power, he quickly extinguished the fire and stood firm. In his mind, there was no doubt, this dragon had to be fake.
Meanwhile, Mira descended gracefully, her demon wings folding behind her as she landed just beyond the range of the flames, carrying Rhodes safely in her arms.
Erza opened her mouth to speak, but Rhodes raised a hand and pointed past her.
"If you're still able to move, I've got a mission for you," he said calmly.
Erza turned to look. From the opposite direction of the Purgatory Dragon, a crimson Raptor flew toward her, wings beating steadily through the smoky air.
Another Raptor glided in beside Jura.
Further off in the distance, Wendy and Carla were seen helping the others onto the backs of several more Raptors.
Twelve Raptors in total, just enough to carry the eleven remaining members of the allied forces, and one cat.
"What's the mission?" Erza asked without hesitation. She knew Rhodes wouldn't ask unless it was urgent.
"There are six key magic crystals embedded in Nirvana. If we destroy them all at the same time, it should halt its movement temporarily. I need you to confirm whether those crystal chambers have already been burned. If they're still intact... we move."
He glanced around quickly. "With you, Jura, Wendy, and Mira, we already have four. If we can't find two more who can fight, I'll step in myself."
"Rhodes!" Wendy's voice rang out urgently. "Ichiya-san and Natsu can still fight!"
Ichiya uncorked one of his signature perfume bottles, inhaled deeply, and rose to his feet with a shaky but determined stance. "MEN—this is the time for a man to shine!"
The cologne worked like a burst of adrenaline. While it had side effects, he considered this his duty as a gentleman.
Natsu's condition was also manageable. With a quick casting of Wendy's "Troia" spell, the effects of his motion sickness faded. Since Gray had shielded him from the brunt of Zero's earlier attack, Natsu was ready for action again.
Although he burned to jump into the main battle, Wendy's plea reminded him of the greater task at hand. With a reluctant nod, he mounted a waiting Raptor, ready for the mission.
The same went for Ichiya. Both men climbed aboard their birds, steeling themselves for what was to come.
"I understand," Jura said with resolve, already leaping onto his own Raptor. "But when do we strike?"
"Leave the timing to me..." Hibiki replied weakly, raising a hand as he activated his Archive Magic.
A golden interface flickered into existence above the six selected mages. A progress bar quickly filled in under a second, then vanished, replaced by synchronized countdown timers in their minds.
At the same time, a detailed tactical map appeared in front of each of them.
"I've just... finished calculating the flight speed of the Raptors," Hibiki said, his voice still weak. "I've uploaded the most efficient route directly into your minds. The person furthest away has about thirty seconds to prepare. Now, go!"
Mira picked the closest target zone and flew off with Rhodes, keeping one eye on the battlefield below in case things changed.
The others split up, each heading for their assigned destination. Those who weren't part of the strike team were carried by the Raptors and evacuated from Nirvana, heading toward safety beyond its range.
Zero, meanwhile, was locked in a fierce duel with the Purgatory Dragon. He dodged its massive swipes and countered with powerful bursts of dark green magic. But while he tried to look calm, his real goal was different, he was searching for an opening to launch a sneak attack on Rhodes, whom he still suspected of being the summoner behind the dragon.
However, Rhodes and Mira had already retreated to a safe distance, and the Purgatory Dragon was subtly, but deliberately, cutting Zero off from reaching that direction.
And truth be told, the Purgatory Dragon was beginning to lose patience.
He had waited long enough. The others had completed the evacuation. Now... he could finally let loose.
The Purgatory Dragon inhaled deeply. This time, his jaw expanded much wider than before, and his throat glowed with a deeper intensity.
Zero immediately sensed something was off and summoned a powerful magic barrier with everything he had.
But it was already too late.
The Purgatory Dragon roared—no, erupted, with full force. His breath was no ordinary flame this time. It surged out like a sky-bound volcano, spewing molten lava, churning black smoke, and blinding heat in an unstoppable wave.
It was like a mountain had exploded in the air. Molten magma poured down from above like a vertical river of fire. A burning waterfall.
The sheer heat split the skies, casting the night in crimson light. Zero's pale, sweat-drenched face reflected the firestorm, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
This was no illusion. This was true wrath.
The dragon's full-powered breath wasn't just a spell, it was a natural disaster.
...
Bonus @400
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