The Queen's Knight and the King's Knight raised their swords and shields, stepping forward to block Ikaruga's sweeping sword energy.
Steel met steel but instead of sparks, there was only the deep, heavy sound of shields shattering into pieces.
Chase glanced down at Lucy in his arms, his tone serious. "Lucy, the enemy is very strong this time. Can you help me?"
"Even Brother Chase isn't certain he can win?!"
Lucy's heart skipped a beat, but she nodded firmly. "I'm not very strong, and I might not be much help… but I'll definitely give it my all!"
This was the first time she would fight side by side with Chase. She had to give everything she had!
Determination shone in her eyes as she reached to her waist and pulled out a Zodiac Key.
"Open! Gate of the Twins Gem "
Before she could finish her summoning, a sudden rush of weightlessness hit her, accompanied by a roaring wind that engulfed her whole body.
The ground fell away rapidly beneath her. Lucy instinctively let out a series of sharp screams because Chase had thrown her high into the air!
"This way, my hands are free," Chase said, stretching out his arms and clenching his fists.
Lucy, flailing mid-air, thought bitterly: So this is your idea of help?!
You stinking card maniac! You battle-crazed lunatic! Give me back my passion!!!
As expected of Lucy, when she wanted to complain, nothing in the world could stop her.
In the blink of an eye, Ikaruga had already cut the Queen's Knight and King's Knight to pieces. Her body leaned forward as she charged at Chase, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sheathed blade.
"Moonless Style Garuda Flame!"
A ring of blazing fire erupted from the draw, coating the blade in searing heat while masking its lethal trajectory.
This was her signature technique an attack designed so that even if the enemy withstood the flames, the follow-up strike would inflict devastating injury.
But Chase's next move made Ikaruga's pupils contract in disbelief.
He didn't dodge. He didn't retreat.
Instead, he simply stood his ground and slowly extended his bronze-clad right arm.
A card wizard someone known for low physical combat power was actually intending to take head-on a slash that could cut through even enchanted steel?
The proud Ikaruga's anger flared. She twisted her wrists and redirected the flaming blade straight toward Chase's neck.
Clang!
The sound of metal rang out, and the Garuda Flame was blown apart by the impact, scattering embers in all directions and charring the street tiles black.
Within the blazing circle, Chase's right fist, empowered by the Arm of the Sealed One, caught the edge of the sword mere centimeters from his head.
But Ikaruga didn't panic. A confident smile curved her lips.
A second later, a cracking sound rang out the Arm of the Sealed One fractured, shattering like brittle glass.
"If you underestimate my Moonless Swordsmanship, Mr. Chase, you'll die miserably "
Her words faltered. Her grip on the hilt trembled.
Because beneath the broken armor, Chase's right arm was revealed.
Dark red scales, layered like dragon hide, covered his skin. They caught the pale moonlight, radiating an otherworldly, sacred aura that was impossible to describe.
Strong enough to block my invincible strike…?
No that wasn't it.
Her slash had weakened.
Feeling the strange, flowing power resisting her blade, Ikaruga's eyes widened as she realized the truth.
"I didn't underestimate your swordsmanship," Chase said evenly. "On the contrary… I used my strongest magic."
Chase smiled calmly, eyes narrowing slightly as a surging dark-red storm erupted around him.
"Sky Dragon's "
This magic… it's completely different from before?!
Ikaruga's instincts screamed. As a professional assassin, her danger sense was razor-sharp. Without hesitation, she leapt back, retreating to gain distance. Even before she steadied her stance, her blade flashed.
"Moonless Style Yaksha's Sky Flash!"
"Iron Fist!"
Boom!!!
The force of Chase's punch ripped through the air like a roaring dragon. The violent, crushing impact twisted and shattered Ikaruga's so-called invincible slashes one after another.
Even though she raised her sword in time to block, the shockwave alone blasted her back. She skidded more than ten meters before finally dispersing the remaining force and managing to stop.
"Just… one punch has this much power? What kind of magic is this ?"
Her arms trembled from the blow, the sword quivering in her grip. Gone was the confidence and composure she had when she first appeared fear now flickered in her eyes.
Not only was his card magic unmatched and his combat reflexes flawless, but he also possessed destructive magic of terrifying strength.
What was Lord Jellal thinking, sending us to assassinate such a monster?
Chase didn't press his advantage. Instead, he reached up to catch Lucy as she fell, scooping her safely into his arms before she could crash into the ground.
"Perfect timing," he remarked casually.
He might have thought it was impressive, but Lucy, lying in his arms, clearly did not. Her wide eyes brimmed with exasperation and unspoken fury.
Never. Ever. Fight alongside Chase again!
The frightened girl made her vow in silence.
"Chase! Lucy! What happened?!"
As Chase set Lucy down, two voices called out from different directions.
Erza, clad in armor, and Mira, in a deep burgundy dress, hurried toward them, their expressions filled with concern.
Behind them, several guild members who lived in Magnolia were also arriving, their momentum fierce and ready for a fight.
"Damn… the worst-case scenario," Ikaruga muttered under her breath, her lips pressed into a thin line, eyes cold as steel.
She had never failed an assassination mission before. The thought of retreat was unbearable, but she could find no way to salvage the situation.
In the end, survival outweighed pride. She turned sharply toward Vidaldus and shouted, "Vidaldus, retreat!"
Snapping out of his shock from Lucy's earlier declaration, Vidaldus immediately understood. Years of teamwork made her intentions clear.
He strummed his guitar with frantic speed, releasing a blast of razor-sharp sonic magic.
Seizing the opening, Ikaruga pulled a magic smoke bomb from her chest and hurled it to the ground.
Bang!
A cloud of thick smoke swallowed the entire street.
When the haze cleared, Chase and Lucy looked up the street was empty.
Even the Owl, who had been knocked out earlier, was gone. The Three Crows had vanished without a trace.
"Chase, who were those people just now?"
Erza and Mira stepped forward, surveying the wreckage around them the collapsed remains of Chase's home, the scorch marks on the street.
From the scene alone, it was obvious. This had been a direct attack aimed at Chase.
Lucy, still shaken from the encounter, could only look at him in bewilderment. She had felt the enemy's strength firsthand.
"The assassination attempt was from the Skull and Bones Guild. They called themselves the Three Crows a special operations unit," Chase said, brushing the dust from the corner of his clothes. He made no move to pursue Ikaruga and the others.
Or rather, he had no intention of chasing them at all. Fighting inside Magnolia came with too many restrictions.
As for tracking them down… that was already taken care of the moment he'd floored Owl with a single punch.
....
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