This was getting troublesome.
But Jehfrit remained calm.
He moved casually, even though he was in the enemy's stronghold and had been discovered. His steps were as relaxed as if he were taking an evening stroll.
The enemies couldn't find him. Their heads darted around frantically, eyes scanning every corner meticulously, like hunters searching for a chameleon blending into its surroundings. But there was no way they'd find Jehfrit that way!
Only Reed, the three-eyed mage, continued to lock onto Jehfrit's position.
"Wait a moment, Vade," Reed said, placating his younger brother before turning to Jehfrit. "Fairy Tail's Elegant Magician?"
"That's me," Jehfrit nodded slightly. "So, may I leave?"
"No," Reed grinned. "You brought this trouble upon yourself."
"If a fight breaks out, people will die—perhaps your little brother…" Jehfrit paused ominously. "...or maybe you."
"If you lack the strength to survive, then death is your due," Reed's smile slowly faded, his voice cold. "Twelve o'clock."
'BOOM'
An attack came without warning. The mages clearly had experience coordinating with Reed; the moment they received his direction, they attacked without hesitation.
Jehfrit dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the first wave of attacks.
"Nine o'clock," Reed stated, hands clasped behind his back.
"Trickster sir, let me eat you! Big guild members taste delicious!" The deranged boy, Vade, charged toward Jehfrit's position, his sharp, blood-red claws radiating danger.
Jehfrit was fragile and had no intention of letting those dangerous-looking talons tear into him.
So he drew his revolver.
If they were enemies, hesitation wasn't an option!
Otherwise, he'd be the one who ended up dead!
Jehfrit aimed at Vade and fired immediately.
'BANG'
Though Vade couldn't see him, the boy instinctively tilted his head at the last second, the bullet grazing past his ear.
Jehfrit continued retreating as magical attacks from the other mages relentlessly pursued him.
Close-range threats came from Vade, while long-range bombardments filled the air.
"This is troublesome."
Jehfrit flicked the cylinder of his revolver.
Black with gold trim, the six-chambered weapon was named by Jehfrit—**Tiel**.
Tiel was a magical artifact, each chamber imbued with a different function:
Single-shot, Burst-fire, Bombardment, Cero, Gust, and Self-Detonation.
Spinning the cylinder, Jehfrit switched to "Gust."
A powerful gust erupted from the barrel, stirring up sand and dust, blinding everyone in the vicinity.
Jehfrit then switched to "Bombardment."
After firing a shot, he quickly ducked behind what appeared to be a sturdy piece of equipment.
"Scatter!" Reed shouted, diving into cover behind a nearby resting area.
Without hesitation, everyone scattered.
'BOOM'
It was akin to a massive missile detonating where they had just stood. A colossal explosion rocked the cavern, sending shockwaves and scorching heat outward, disrupting the ambient magical energy. The entire cave lit up with a blinding inferno!
Vade, being small and light, was caught by the force of the blast and slammed violently against the wall.
Some were dead, others injured, but only a few sustained minor wounds.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Jehfrit switched to "Cero" and fired at the wall behind him.
Charging for three seconds.
'HUM'
A pitch-black beam, three meters in diameter, erupted from the gun, piercing through the wall and the mountain behind it!
Though it wasn't a true Cero, the sheer destructive power of the beam made the name fitting when Jehfrit had created it.
At the end of the tunnel lay blinding white light.
Switching back to "Single-shot," Jehfrit fired at Reed, who had just peeked out from behind cover. The shot forced him to duck back down immediately.
Switching again to "Gust."
Jehfrit placed Tiel diagonally below him and pulled the trigger.
'WHOOSH'
A torrent of wind blasted from the barrel, propelling Jehfrit like a rocket, defying gravity as he soared out of the cavern and into the open air.
Once outside, he switched to "Bombardment" and fired backward, collapsing the tunnel exit behind him.
Time to retreat.
But—
'HUM'
Suddenly, dozens of magic circles linked together in the sky, forming a massive translucent blue dome that descended over the area.
A magical barrier!
Jehfrit was trapped inside.
Stopping briefly, he fired a shot at the barrier.
'BANG'
Even the highly penetrative bullet from the single-shot chamber failed to pierce the barrier, merely causing ripples across its surface.
"Hehe." A hunched old man stepped out from behind a nearby tree.
"It's an honor to meet you again, Magician-sama," the old man bowed politely to Jehfrit.
Jehfrit returned the gesture courteously and replied, "Didn't you say earlier that you didn't want trouble? Why stop me now?"
This was the same hunched elder who had advised Reed not to cause trouble back in town.
"Stopping me wasn't a wise move," Jehfrit raised his gun, aiming directly at him.
"But I had no choice, sir," the old man slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a withered arm. His skin was grayish-red, veins protruding like roots of a dying tree exposed to the elements.
The old man sighed regretfully. "Blame yourself for coming here, to this unfortunate place."
"Very well." Jehfrit nodded resignedly. "Then..."
'BANG'
A gunshot rang out.
The old man collapsed slowly, a look of surprise frozen on his face. A small hole appeared at the back of his skull, while the front of his forehead exploded into a grotesque mess.
"The game has begun," Jehfrit didn't glance at the fallen man, instead turning his gaze toward the approaching mages.
"Yes, the game has indeed begun, Magician-sama," the old man's voice carried a hint of admiration and excitement. "I've lost this round, but I look forward to our next encounter."
Upon hearing this, Jehfrit raised his hand and unleashed another Cero, blasting a three-meter-wide crater that obliterated the old man completely, leaving nothing behind!
Though the old man was gone, the magic circle and barrier remained intact.
There was no choice but to fight.
Jehfrit habitually adjusted his glasses with the ring finger of his left hand. Half his face was obscured by his palm, reflecting the surrounding scenery, while his calm, unshaken eyes peered through the gaps between his fingers.
"With the barrier up, he can't escape!"
Reed and the other enemies finally emerged after circling around the cave entrance.
One person was missing—the red-haired mage with immense strength.
But Jehfrit didn't believe the man was incapacitated.
He'd need to stay vigilant against hidden adversaries to avoid disaster.
Jehfrit extended his magic influence, enveloping the entire area within the barrier.
Bringing everyone under the effects of his Deception Magic!
First, deal with the grunts.
Jehfrit took a step back, and his figure vanished.
Deception Magic.
One lie, two truths!
Deception relied on feeding false information to distort perception of truths and lies.
Deception Magic exploited emotional vulnerabilities, manipulating feelings to achieve its goal.
Jehfrit's Magic is divided in two parts.
The former targeted the five senses.
The latter manipulated emotions.
Jehfrit's mastery of sensory deception was unparalleled, but he was still honing the second phase.
For now, instilling fear was his forte.
So...