Chapter 18: The Ninth Conquest
Magnolia forest
The forest clearing lay untouched by civilization, ancient trees forming a natural arena. Their gnarled roots twisted through moss-covered stone, creating uneven terrain that would challenge any combatant.
The ritual circle glowed with dark energy, shadows pooling at each cardinal point. Yume stood at the center, hand extended.
Natsu and Erza will fight today.
He could go. Watch the fight.
But why?
He knows the plot.
Erza would be arrested, released after questioning, return within a day or two. The guild would worry, then celebrate her return. Standard procedure—the Council flexing authority.
The outcome wouldn't change. My presence adds nothing.
This, however...
He stood, shadows already coiling around his feet.
He'd been putting off Round Deer for weeks. Not from fear—from tactical calculation. Its positive energy was the antithesis of his darkness, making it the hardest counter among the ten.
This is something I need it done before the next major arc.
"Come forth—Round deer."
The shadows erupted.
The Round Deer stepped into dying sunlight—majestic, impossibly graceful.
Xerneas-like crystalline antlers refracted the golden rays into prismatic rainbows that danced across bark and stone.
Its hooves didn't quite touch the ground—floating millimeters above earth, leaving no tracks, as if the world itself refused to be marred by its passage.
Its white coat shimmered with an otherworldly quality, each breath releasing visible waves of positive energy that made the air itself seem to hum.
Four meters tall at the shoulder. Muscular but elegant. Eyes that held ancient wisdom.
This was no ordinary shikigami.
[MP: 100%]
[HP: 100%]
Yume's shadow rippled as eight forms materialized around him:
Sky and Sea, Manda, Gama, Tusk, Storm , Swift, Caesar, Jack.
The Round Deer's gaze swept across them all, unimpressed. Unbothered.
Its eyes settled on Yume.
The message wasn't spoken—it simply was. A presence pressing against his mind.
Prove your worth.
The Round Deer didn't wait.
It moved. One moment standing still—the next, a blur of white and crystal.
Sky and Sea lunged in perfect coordination, jaws snapping for legs and throat. They'd taken down dozens of opponents this way.
The deer bounded over them, twenty feet straight up, body twisting mid-air with impossible grace.
It landed behind them, antlers flashing.
A blade of pure positive energy materialized—solidified light—and slashed across Sky's flank.
The white Divine Dog yelped, stumbling, dark blood staining white fur.
Sea spun, snarling, but the deer was already moving again.
It's faster than Storm, Yume noted, eyes tracking the white blur. Faster than anything I've faced.
[MP: 100% → 97%] (maintaining 9 shikigami simultaneously)
Manda struck from below—ten meters of serpent erupting from shadow, fangs dripping venom, aiming for the deer's shoulder.
The bite connected.
Fangs sank deep. Venom flooded the wound.
For a heartbeat, Yume thought—
The deer's body glowed.
Not with magic just pure, radiant positive energy that swept through its system like wildfire.
The venom evaporated. The wound closed.
In three seconds, there was no evidence Manda had ever struck.
The serpent recoiled, scales smoking from the purification backlash, hissing in pain and confusion.
Healing factor. Instantaneous. And it COUNTERS negative energy.
Yume's jaw tightened.
Pandora orbs shifted, forming twin gunswords.
Fine. Let's see how you handle ME.
He moved—Shadow Shift teleported him to the deer's flank. His blade slashed—
The deer spun, impossibly fast, antlers intercepting the strike.
Metal screeched against crystal. Positive energy surged, burning his hands.
Yume gritted his teeth, disengaging before the purification could spread.
[MP: 97% → 96%]
Ranged attacks won't suffice either. Need precision strikes or environmental leveragel
The Round Deer's eyes locked on his.
And for the first time, it smiled mockingly
Now you're thinking.
Gama let loose a sonic scream, but the deer's ears flicked back. Positive energy channeled through the ground—flowers and vines erupted, muffling sound and entangling Gama's legs.
Storm dove, lightning crackling. The deer's antlers absorbed electricity, dispersing it harmlessly. It responded with a blinding flash, disorienting Storm and Swift.
Tusk charged, trunk spraying water, tusks gleaming. The deer met the charge head-on, crystalline antlers clashing with ivory. For a moment, two titans pushed against each other, ground cracking under combined might.
The deer twisted, using agility to slip aside and deliver a powerful kick. Tusk staggered back.
Faster than Storm. Healing factor neutralizes attrition. Counters every element.
Yume's eyes narrowed. *Individual attacks won't work. Need combinations.*
"Tusk! Storm! Coordinate!"
Tusk charged, trunk raised. Water erupted in a massive torrent—not at the deer, but flooding the ground around it, turning earth to mud.
The deer's hooves splashed, pristine coat darkening.
Storm dove immediately after. Lightning crackled across wings.
"Now!"
Electricity struck water.
The clearing exploded with blue-white light. Conductive water carried Storm's lightning in every direction—a web of electrical energy with the deer at the center.
The deer convulsed, muscles seizing, antlers sparking. Its healing factor flared, but continuous current made recovery impossible.
Three full seconds. Completely immobilized.
[MP: 96% → 93%]
Opening.
"Totality: Jack, Swift."
The two shikigami dissolved into shadow, essences merging. What emerged combined Swift's aerial grace with Jack's explosive mobility—a creature resembling a large falcon with rabbit-like hind legs, sleek black feathers edged with violet fire, talons crackling with kinetic energy.
Blazewing.
[MP: 93% → 85%]
The fusion shot forward. Struck from above with diving kick, then banked mid-air with impossible agility, talons raking the deer's flank before it could counter. The deer's healing flared, but Blazewing was already circling.
"Blazewing—to Gama!"
The fusion dove. Gama's tongue lashed out, wrapping around Blazewing's talons. The toad inhaled deeply, throat sac expanding.
"Sonic Launcher!"
Gama's sonic scream channeled through Blazewing's body as it rocketed toward the deer, moving faster than sound itself. The aerial shikigami became a living projectile wrapped in sonic energy.
Impact was devastating. Blazewing's kick struck the deer's flank with explosive force amplified by Gama's scream. Sonic energy disrupted magical concentration, preventing immediate healing.
The deer staggered, antlers dimming.
Combination attacks work.
The deer recovered, healing factor surging. But—
"Manda! Gama! Synchronized strike!"
Manda coiled from shadows, striking low—fangs sinking into hind leg. Venom flooded the wound.
Gama's sonic scream hit simultaneously.
Sound waves vibrated through the deer's body, disrupting magical flow. Purification faltered, stuttering.
Venom isn't neutralizing fast enough.
The deer's leg trembled, muscles twitching as toxins spread. Not fully—but enough to slow. Enough to weaken.
[MP: 85% → 82%]
"Sky, Sea, Tusk—hunt formation!"
The twin Divine Dogs split, circling in opposite directions. They weren't attacking randomly.
They were herding.
Sky drove the deer toward a massive oak. Sea cut off escape. The deer tried to leap—
Tusk charged from the flank.
Four tons of elephant-shikigami slammed into the deer's side, crushing it against ancient oak. The tree cracked, trunk splintering.
Before the deer could recover, Sky lunged—jaws clamping around neck. Sea mirrored from opposite side.
The deer thrashed, antlers flashing, but the Divine Dogs held firm. Tusk pressed forward, tusks bracing against tree, creating a living cage.
Immobilized. Neck pinned. Body crushed. Escape routes sealed.
Then Caesar entered—Infernape-inspired, intelligent, eyes gleaming. Shadow-fire coiled around his fists and tail—dark violet flames that consumed light at their edges.
His staff was solidified shadow-fire, shifting in length. He spun it, extending to massive size, crashing into the deer's antlers with a burst of dark flame. Shadow-fire spread across ground like living ink.
The deer met him with positive energy, attempting to purify. But Caesar's flames resisted, flickering but not extinguishing. The shadow-fire was aggressive, burning with draining cold, sapping vitality.
Caesar grinned. "Not so easy to heal from THIS, is it?"
He slammed staff into ground. Shadow-fire roots erupted—constructs of solidified darkness and flame, writhing like living things. They coiled around the deer's legs, burning with cold fire, binding with surprising strength.
"Rika! Wind from Erigor—now!"
"MERA!"
Rika's four arms raised. Green wind magic—stolen from Erigor's severed leg—swirled around her claws, coalescing into a vortex.
Caesar slammed staff down. Shadow-fire erupted in violet flames—
Rika's wind magic fed the flames.
Shadow-fire exploded outward, no longer just roots but raging inferno of dark fire that consumed oxygen, spreading in whirlwind of violet and black. Wind didn't extinguish flames—it amplified them, turning controlled constructs into blazing cyclone.
The deer's purification flared desperately, but sheer volume overwhelmed defenses. Healing one spot left ten burning.
"Shadow-fire tornado," Caesar grinned. "Not bad, eh?"
[MP: 82% → 74%]
The deer's antlers dimmed, breathing labored.
Almost.
But the deer wasn't defeated.
Its eyes blazed, antlers glowing brilliantly.
"ENOUGH!"
Shockwave of positive energy erupted—pure, blinding, overwhelming.
Sky and Sea's forms flickered, forced to release grip. Gama's voice faltered. Even Tusk staggered backward.
Shadow-fire dimmed. Venom began purifying.
Final stand.
Yume's Pandora Orbs spun, shifting—chains of darkness shot forward, wrapping around legs, neck, antlers. He poured magic into them, reinforcing, binding.
[MP: 74% → 61%]
"Caesar! One more time!"
Caesar's staff extended massively, shadow-fire roots erupting from every angle, intertwining with Yume's chains.
"Blazewing—strike pattern seven!"
The fusion dove repeatedly—kick, bank, dive, kick—each strike precise, exploiting immobilized state.
"Manda—venom, maximum dose!"
The serpent struck three times rapidly, flooding the deer's system with toxins faster than purification could counter.
"Storm—lightning barrage!"
Electricity poured down like rain, crackling across antlers, disrupting magical focus.
The deer's healing sputtered. Failed. Legs buckled.
Yume stepped forward, Rika materializing beside him. Her four arms raised, dark energy coalescing.
"MERA MERA MERA!"
Yume's hands extended, darkness flowing from palms. Energies merged—shadow and curse, binding and crushing.
The beam erupted—lance of compressed void striking the deer's core with absolute finality.
Crystalline antlers shattered.
Light extinguished.
With a sound like falling snow, the Round Deer collapsed, magnificent form dissolving into motes of white-gold light spiraling into Yume's shadow.
[Victory Achieved]
[Round Deer: Subdued]
***
Silence.
The clearing was devastated. Shadow-fire scorched earth in intricate webs. Craters from Tusk's charges. Collapsed oak tree. Gouges from antlers and lightning. Violet embers smoldering, refusing to die.
And in the center—a circle of pristine white flowers, untouched, where the deer had fallen.
Yume staggered, dropping to one knee.
[MP: 61% → 18%]
[HP: 75%]
Hands trembling. Sweat dripping. Every muscle ached.
Eighteen percent. Barely functional.
Sky and Sea materialized immediately, pressing against shoulders, supporting. Caesar collapsed nearby, breathing hard but grinning.
"We... did it..."
"Yeah." Yume's voice was hoarse. "We did."
[New Shikigami Acquired: Round Deer]
[Shikigami Renamed: Rudolph]
[Ability Unlocked: Positive Energy Manipulation (Minor)]
[Ability Unlocked: Purification Aura (Weak)]
[Ability Unlocked: Regeneration Boost (Passive)]
[MP Capacity Increased: +10%]
Regeneration Boost... not healing. Boosting recovery.
"Rudolph."
The white stag manifested—smaller now, three meters, no longer hostile. Crystalline antlers glowed softly, light gentle rather than blinding.
It approached, lowering head.
Yume placed hand on its muzzle. Warm. Alive.
Soft glow emanated from antlers, washing over his body. The ache in muscles lessened. Cuts and bruises began closing, flesh knitting.
[HP: 75% → 92%]
Magic reserves didn't budge.
[MP: 18%]
Physical healing, not magical restoration. But it speeds natural recovery of Both Hp and Mp .
"Good enough."
Rudolph's eyes—no longer assessing—held quiet respect.
You proved worthy. I will serve.
"Return."
The stag dissolved.
Yume tried to stand. Legs gave out.
Sky and Sea caught him immediately, lowering him gently to scorched earth.
Caesar crawled over, concern replacing cockiness. "Boss? You good?"
"Just... exhausted. Magic depletion. Need... sleep..."
"Rest. I'll keep watch," Caesar said quietly, staff reforming.
The other shikigami materialized silently. Storm perching on branch. Manda coiling protectively. Gama settling at clearing's edge. Tusk standing sentinel.
Even Rika appeared, crouching beside him, four arms folded, red eyes scanning.
"MERA," she whispered. Sleep. Safe.
Yume's hand rested on Sky's fur, warmth grounding.
Seven from original Ten Shadows. Three custom creations. One cursed spirit.
Three more to conquer: Piercing Ox, Funeral Tiger, Mahoraga.
But not today.
Consciousness faded, forest sounds growing distant.
Today... was enough.
***
[MP: 18%]
[HP: 92%]
[Status: Unconscious - Natural Recovery Initiated]
[Estimated Recovery Time: 8 hours]
***
As the sun climbed higher, casting a gilded radiance across the landscape, Yume remained in a peaceful slumber within the deep shade. Above him, his loyal shikigami stood in silent vigil, an unbreakable guard over their master.
The flowers unfurled their petals around him.
[End of Chapter 18]