At the entrance of the dark castle, the grunts fled in panic.
"A MAN!!"
Elfman charged through the crowd like a human tank. Wherever he passed, walls collapsed and rocks shattered, the momentum was huge.
The reason he was acting so aggressively and bravely, aside from being a battle fanatic by nature, was another important reason: Lisanna was following behind him.
As her older brother, Elfman desperately wanted to show off in front of his sister, demonstrating a manliness different from his previously cowardly personality.
At the same time, this was also their first battle together as siblings since being reunited. And with Mira-nee not around, the responsibility of protecting Lisanna naturally fell to him!
"Die, Fairy Tail!"
Suddenly, a Grimoire Heart elite wearing a purple mask leaped out from a dark corner, swinging a magical battle ax from a blind spot toward the rampaging Elfman.
"Partial Take Over: Animal Soul: Cat!"
Just as Elfman sensed the danger and was about to counterattack, an agile figure swooped down from the air even faster.
A cat's claw swung out several sharp slashes. The Grimoire Heart elite attempting the sneak attack was instantly drenched in blood, screamed, and fell to the ground.
"It's not just Elfman-nii and Mira-nee. I've gotten stronger too. I can fight alongside you now!" Lisanna landed steadily, flexing her cat claws. Her long blue and white striped tail swished back and forth, full of energy.
Elfman was momentarily stunned, then moved with emotion. "Ooh! As expected of Lisanna! Super manly!!"
"I'm a girl, you know!" Lisanna corrected him seriously, but the smile on her face didn't diminish. "Elfman-nii, let's beat the enemies to a pulp together~"
"Of course! Take Over: Beast King Soul! "
The magical array flashed with light. Caught up in the emotion, Elfman immediately transformed into the mighty Beast King.
Compared to his large, wild body, Cat Lisanna looked exceptionally petite. The scene had a definite beauty-and-the-beast vibe.
Just as the siblings, standing shoulder to shoulder, were about to raise some hell, a series of screams came from the entrance ahead.
A turbulent, evil magical power transformed into a pitch-black storm, massacring the fleeing Grimoire Heart mages.
"This is really pissing me off. You've wrecked our headquarters like this."
A black coat fluttered. A figure wearing glasses, with a pompadour hairstyle, hands in pockets, walked out from among the falling mages.
The man stopped in front of Elfman and Lisanna, his gaze cold as he announced his name. "I, Rustyrose of the Seven Kin, will devour you fairies whole."
"You're so cruel to your own comrades?!" Elfman was startled by the man's ruthlessness.
"Comrades? Creatures this weak would be useless even in the Great Magical World. They're nothing like me," Rustyrose said casually, raising his palm.
"Discarding people just because they're weak. What a despicable guy," Lisanna said.
Having witnessed the Fairy Tail of Edolas, where people without magic still supported each other and moved forward, she simply couldn't understand this boring "the strong rule" mentality.
"Lisanna, there's nothing to say to someone who doesn't even treasure their comrades!" Beast King Elfman bent his legs and charged at Rustyrose with explosive force.
He had sensed a danger in the man's deep magical fluctuations that was different from the other grunts, so he wanted to strike first to protect Lisanna.
BAM!!
The heavy Beast King fist sent out trembling shockwaves. From deep within the smoke, a golden shield had steadily blocked Elfman's attack.
"Too bad. The golden shield dwelling in my left hand can block all attacks. And my right hand—" Rustyrose's gaze sharpened from beneath the shield. "—holds the pitch-black sword that can destroy everything!"
A steel claw, like that of some monster, swung out with tremendous force, sending Elfman, still frozen in the aftermath of his punch, flying hard into a wall that collapsed on impact.
If not for the tough skin granted by his Beast King Take Over, that blow alone would have critically wounded Elfman!
"Materializing whatever I imagine into reality. This is my Lost Magic: Arc of Embodiment!" Rustyrose had no intention of giving Elfman time to recover. He imagined Pegasus wings on his ankles and chased after him at high speed.
"We already knew that! We won't let you have your way!" Green feathers fell. Lisanna, transformed into a Harpy, attacked from the side, her raised sharp claws glinting coldly.
Rustyrose was startled. He controlled his Pegasus wings to quickly change trajectory, narrowly avoiding the claws aimed at his chest.
Unlike heavy-hitting, tanky melee mages like Kain and Zancrow, his Arc of Embodiment, while having infinite possibilities, didn't come with a physically strong body. He didn't dare to tank hits.
The moment he landed back in his original spot, the recovered Beast King Elfman seized the opportunity and charged in, landing a heavy punch right on his face. "A MAN!!"
Rustyrose was sent flying, spitting blood, glasses flying off, crashing into a shower of stone fragments.
"Nice one, Elfman-nii!" Lisanna flapped her wings and cheered.
"All thanks to you, Lisanna! I could only beat that guy because you protected me!" the sister-obsessed Elfman said, awkwardly scratching his head.
BOOM!
Magic power surged ahead, blowing the scattered debris around, accompanied by a sickeningly cold aura.
"Defeated? Hah. Don't be ridiculous!" Despite his disheveled hair and blood at the corner of his mouth, making him look quite wounded, Rustyrose's expression was extremely vicious.
"Intense pain only enhances my imagination further. Die! Spirits of Britannia! "
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Countless dark purple spirits with gaping mouths surged out from behind Rustyrose, forming an airtight tunnel of death that instantly enveloped Elfman and Lisanna.
The spirits shrieked. The evil energy they released tightly bound Elfman and Lisanna. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free, forcibly pinned in place.
But Rustyrose's attack didn't stop there.
"Become stars of sorrowful memory! Guardian Sacred Beast: Gale Belfast! "
At the end of the spirit tunnel, black light spread like nightfall. A massive monster covered in pitch-black armor appeared.
The monster merely extended its claws, and the ground trembled. Its enormous size caused the surrounding walls to collapse, sending debris rolling down.
"You've been flaunting your sibling bond this whole time. Now, it's time to make you feel the sin of weakness."
The spirits and the sacred beast filled Rustyrose with confidence. He leaped onto Belfast's massive head, looking down from above, a twisted, maniacal expression on his face.
After a moment's thought, he locked his gaze on Lisanna. "We'll start with this woman."
"Stop! If you want someone, come at me!" Elfman panicked instantly, struggling wildly as he roared. "Dammit! What the hell is this thing?!"
In contrast, Lisanna felt relieved. She looked fearlessly at the approaching behemoth.
"Yes! That reaction! That's the reaction!" Rustyrose's madness intensified. "Watching your beloved sister die before your eyes... I'm already looking forward to the expression on your face! Hahaha!"
In the span of a few words, the guardian sacred beast had already reached Lisanna.
Its raised claws cast a large shadow, radiating an aura of utter despair.
"I'll leave the rest to you, Elfman-nii. Without me holding you back, you can definitely beat this guy!" Lisanna turned her head to look at Elfman, whose eyes were red, and smiled with trust.
She was carrying one of Chase-nii's Kuriboh derivative. Even if she took a fatal hit, she would only be force teleported back to the Nirvana.
What she wanted to convey to Elfman was that they could use this information gap to catch the enemy off guard.
It was a sound judgment, a perfect counterattack opportunity. Handled well, they could defeat the enemy in one blow!
But—
"Hahaha! Be crushed into mincemeat!"
Amidst Rustyrose's maniacal laughter, the guardian sacred beast's claws stomped down with tremendous force.
CRASH!!
Accompanied by a howling wind, the solid blow shattered the ground into pieces.
In the darkness, Lisanna slowly opened her eyes. But the familiar sight of the Nirvana didn't appear.
Ahead, a muscular, sturdy back filled her entire field of vision.
"Elfman-nii?!" Lisanna's eyes widened in disbelief.
Elfman stood straight on the broken ground, covered in blood. His arms were wrapped around the beast's claw, thicker than his own body, using his shoulders to withstand Belfast's attack, protecting Lisanna safely behind him!
"Lisanna's judgment was probably right. But—" Blood from his shoulders stained Elfman's body red, but he didn't care. He stood there like a steel pillar.
"—I don't want Lisanna to experience the pain of 'death' again... even if it's just fake. ABSOLUTELY NOT!!"
The rainy night two and a half years ago, full of tragedy and regret, surfaced in his mind. Elfman erupted with power far beyond his physical limits.
"Breaking free from your binds at the cost of seriously injuring yourself... How sickeningly sweet. This sibling bond of yours!" Rustyrose didn't understand what "the pain of death" meant, but he was still shocked by the sight before him. Or rather, he felt intense jealousy and disgust. He roared, "My imagination is invincible! Imagination is enough!"
"CRUSH BOTH OF THEM!!"
Belfast, receiving the command, exerted its strength. Then, a human-like confusion and fear suddenly appeared on its brutal face.
Not only could it not stomp down, but a fear of perishing also surged through its mind!
"Hey. You said imagination is invincible, right? Then open your eyes wide and see clearly. The power of bonds between family!"
Elfman's sharp gaze pierced through the gaps between the beast's claws, reaching deep into Rustyrose's pupils, making him instinctively step back.
Those eyes... those eyes...
"To ensure that tragedy never happens again, to better protect my family, I've been training like mad according to Dark Magician's training guide. And now—it's time to see the results!"
A magical array lit up beneath Elfman's feet, emitting an incredibly dazzling light.
"Whether it's real or imaginary, if it's a beast... I'll conquer it!"
"TAKE OVER! GUARDIAN SACRED BEAST!!!"
Under Rustyrose's terrified gaze, Belfast let out a strange cry. Its massive body gradually became illusive, transforming into a torrent of energy that flowed into Elfman's body.
Soon, the giant dissipated with the wind. Black armor materialized in the turbulent air current.
Beneath a stylish steel helmet, a man slowly opened his eyes, overflowing with oppressive power.
"Your power... I'll gratefully take it!" Sacred Beast Elfman grinned.
Belfast. Successfully taken over!
***
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