Clooney's eyes gleamed with malice as he locked onto Chase, whose expression remained as calm as still water.
Two dark purple magic circles flared to life on Clooney's forearms. From them, thick black mist surged out, engulfing his hands before condensing into long, pitch-black devil claws.
Under the glow of the Holy Light Sealing Sword, those claws shimmered with a sinister luster so sharp and eerie that it felt like they could rip through steel with a single swipe.
As the feared leader of a dark guild, this was the magic Clooney prided himself on most.
It bore some resemblance to Erza's Requip: The Knight. Both were designed for close combat.
The key difference?
Erza summoned her weapons from another dimension. Clooney, on the other hand, compressed pure magical power to forge weapons directly from his body twisting his very magic into monstrous tools of destruction.
"Little brat," Clooney growled, his tongue snaking out to lick along the edge of his demonic claws, "you've really pissed me off."
"You're still useful to me, so I won't kill you yet. But before that..."
He grinned, twisted and wild.
"I'll make sure you get a taste... of the true purgatory that is pain and despair!"
His fleshy face twisted with bloodlust, Clooney bent his knees and exploded forward at incredible speed.
A flash of black light streaked through the air as the devil's claws swept in a deadly arc closing the distance to Chase in the blink of an eye!
Bang!
The sharp clang of metal striking metal rang out, followed by a shower of sparks.
Clooney's expression shifted in shock. Reflected in his pupils was the image of a mysterious swordsman standing firmly in front of Chase.
The swordsman's gaze was unwavering and full of resolve. Clad in steel armor, he exuded a quiet strength, and the purple cloak on his back billowed slowly in the wind.
Clooney's eyes trailed along the swordsman's long blade locked in a fierce clash with his demon claws and then snapped toward Chase, who stood just behind the warrior.
There, held between Chase's slightly raised fingertips, was a glowing magic card.
A humanoid swordsman? Summoned from a card?!
So besides the fire-breathing bone dragon… and the sealing lightsabers… this guy can summon warriors too?!
Feeling the solid weight and pressure behind the blade of the mysterious swordsman, Clooney was secretly alarmed.
Back when he led the Deep Swamp guild, he had faced many card wizards and believed he had them figured out.
Most of them, while possessing diverse magic, were laughably weak in direct combat.
That's why he chose to charge at Chase immediately intending to end the fight in one swift, lethal strike.
He never imagined the man would hold a card like this!
"I leave it to you, Elf Swordsman," Chase said calmly, revealing the identity of the warrior before him.
[Elf Swordsman Who Flips the Enemy] a Level 4 monster card, known for exceptional swordsmanship, combat skill, and an unbreakable will.
The elven swordsman gave Chase a slight nod, then let out a sharp growl. Gripping his sword with both hands, he surged forward, pressing Clooney back with sheer force.
Clooney was flung backward by the unexpected strength, stumbling several meters before catching himself.
Just as he found his footing, the fluttering shadow of a purple cloak fell over him from above blocking the sun and darkening his face.
The elven swordsman flipped the blade in his hand, shifting into a downward chop, and used the momentum from his high leap to slash straight at Clooney's head!
But as expected of a dark guild master seasoned in countless battles, Clooney's reflexes kicked in immediately. He stomped hard on the deck, twisted his body, and raised his right arm the demon claw swiping up to parry the incoming strike.
At the same moment, his left arm lashed out from a sharp angle, claws driving directly into the elf swordsman's abdomen.
Shhhhk
The razor-sharp talons tore through steel armor and burst out from the swordsman's back.
Bang!
The elven warrior shattered instantly, his form scattering into glimmering shards of heroism that danced in the air.
"You're really this fragile?" Clooney scoffed. "If all your cards are like that, you might as well kneel and beg."
A cruel grin crept across his face. "Please me a little, and maybe I'll make your suffering less... artistic."
He didn't know if it was from too many days at sea, or because his opponent was a renowned S-class Fairy Tail wizard but he wanted to see fear. He wanted to see panic flicker across Chase's face.
Just like those other wizards who had taken on this commission before, parading under the banner of justice. In the end, they all dropped to their knees, sobbing, begging for their lives.
But the only response Clooney received was a gleam of cold sword light slicing in from the side.
He barely had time to raise his demon claws in defense. The next second
Bang!
The impact sent him flying. He crashed straight through the deck and into the lower cabin of the pirate ship.
Boards splintered. The cabin buckled and collapsed into rubble.
"What?! That's impossible!" Clooney roared, flinging aside the broken planks pinning him down. His eyes locked on the figure that stepped out from the dust and ruin.
It was the elven swordsman the same one he'd torn to pieces just moments ago!
The swordsman stood tall, sword in hand, expression cold and unreadable. Silent, as always.
He didn't answer. He never needed to.
That was simply the kind of warrior he was.
"If you don't start using real magic, there's no way you're getting past the elf swordsman's defense, dear President Clooney." Chase's voice drifted down slowly from above.
Technically, as a duelist, as long as Chase remained standing, his monsters wouldn't truly die.
But that didn't mean he could summon them endlessly. If a monster was "killed" in battle, it would enter a period of dormancy before it could fight again.
Just like the Dark Magician Girl after taking on Ignia's roar, she had slumbered for three whole days and nights before finally reawakening.
The same goes for Spell and Trap Cards.
Naturally, this dormant state can be overridden early using certain resurrection-type cards like [Monster Reborn] or [Premature Burial].
But typically, Chase reserved those kinds of cards as ace-in-the-hole trump cards. He wouldn't play them unless it was absolutely necessary.
So how did the Elf Swordsman return?
Simple: it was thanks to his monster effect
"Cannot be destroyed by battle with monsters of a higher level."
In other words, he couldn't be defeated by someone stronger than himself.
Clooney's gaze snapped up at the sound of Chase's voice, and his eyes flared with fury.
Because right now, Chase was sitting leisurely on Clooney's own throne the animal-skin-covered chair meant only for the pirate captain himself legs crossed, cool as ever.
He was even sipping a cup of black tea… from who knows where!
Me! The president of Deep Swamp, a pirate captain who ruled the seas!
When have I ever been humiliated like this?!
All of Clooney's pent-up rage erupted like a volcano.
But Chase, entirely unbothered by the murderous glare, casually blew on his teacup and added, "You know… something like high-temperature flame magic might've done the trick."
His tone was mild.
His provocation? Lethal.
"Do you think I'd believe such stupid talk? That obvious lie?" Clooney's expression darkened like a thundercloud.
From his reactions and the entire battle sequence so far, Chase could tell this guy definitely didn't know fire magic.
Tch… That old fox Marshall didn't even share something this basic?
If before there was a 99% chance that Marshall was the mastermind behind this ambush, now Chase was certain: 100%.
As he mused silently, a violent magical storm suddenly tore across the pirate ship.
Refusing to back down, Clooney unleashed his full magic power, black mist howling around him. The devil claws extended one after another, and he dove straight into close combat with the elven swordsman.
Although the strength of S-Class wizards varied, Clooney was still a true powerhouse, far beyond the reach of your average mage.
The four-star Elf Swordsman valiant and nimble as he was simply had a lower ceiling. After a few brutal rounds, Clooney ripped him to pieces.
But then…
Thanks to his effect of not being destroyed by stronger foes, the elven swordsman reappeared almost instantly, blade in hand, ready to fight again.
This relentless and borderline cheap tactic made Clooney grit his teeth with fury.
After several brutal exchanges, Clooney still couldn't find an opening to strike down Chase, the true threat the one holding the cards.
If this dragged on any longer, he was going to be worn down by that damned Elf Swordsman resurrecting over and over.
Tch… this isn't worth it!
With one final swipe, he shredded the elf into glowing fragments again, then leapt back to the far end of the ruined deck, putting as much space as he could between himself and the persistent swordsman.
"Heh… as expected of Fairy Tail," Clooney muttered, panting lightly, black mist curling from his shoulders. "Really tough to deal with…"
This time, he didn't summon his claws. Instead, he calmly placed one hand on the skull-shaped pendant hanging from his neck.
"Kid, you're good. Out of all the so-called heroes I've crushed, you're the first to force me to go this far…"
His voice dropped to a menacing growl. "But unfortunately, this is as far as you go."
Snap!
He crushed the skull with a single squeeze.
A deep rumble shook the air.
A pulse of ancient, bone-chilling magic exploded from his body, flooding the ship with an overwhelming pressure. The air turned heavy, the wind fell still, and the aura felt entirely different from before deeper, older… cursed.
Even Chase's brows furrowed slightly.
"…This magic power," he muttered under his breath. "It's not from this era…"
Something had awakened.
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