"Roger!!!"
Erza's heart clenched as if gripped by an iron fist, her scream tearing through the air as her body instinctively lunged toward the direction Roger had been blasted away.
"Oh, my, my," came a mocking clap, accompanied by a lazy, venomous male voice slithering out from the nearby bushes like a serpent's hiss.
A figure draped in a black-purple robe sauntered out, his face twisted with a playful smirk.
"Quite the impressive little brat," he said, his gaze flicking over Erza before glancing toward where Roger had vanished.
"Good thing I followed the orders of the Seven Kin and placed a living connection spell on everyone guarding the perimeter," he sneered. "Otherwise, you two might've actually slipped away."
He spread his arms wide, his tone suddenly feverish with zeal. "To offer your lives for Lord Zeref's revival—you should feel honored!"
Erza forced herself to tear her eyes away from Roger's direction.
Her teeth ground together, her muscles tensing like a drawn bowstring. In a flash, she lunged forward, snatching up the silver longsword Roger had dropped.
Gripping the hilt tightly with both hands, she pointed the blade at the robed figure, her eyes burning with fury, pinning him in place like nails.
"Why our village?!" Her voice was hoarse from the strain. "Who the hell is this 'Zeref'?!"
"Silence!" the man snapped, his voice spiking as if she'd stepped on his tail, laced with fanatical devotion. "You will address him as Lord Zeref! He is the one true god of this world! The great being who will usher in the era of grand magic!"
He raised his hand, and a chilling black-purple magic circle materialized before his palm, its icy aura spreading like tangible frost, stinging Erza's skin.
"We only need obedient slaves. Disobedient brats like you," his voice turned cold as death, "deserve nothing but to be reduced to dust. Die!"
The destructive energy brewing in the magic circle made Erza's body tremble uncontrollably, the shadow of death creeping over her like cold waves lapping at her ankles.
She gasped heavily, as if trying to expel the fear from her lungs, her eyes locked on the deadly magic circle.
I can't die!
I have to survive.
Roger's hurt.
I have to win.
I have to defeat him! Defeat him!
DEFEAT HIM!
The thought exploded in her mind like thunder, drowning out all other sounds.
Her spirit compressed to its limit, the world shrinking until it was just her and the lethal enemy before her. A searing heat erupted from deep within her body, unlike anything she'd ever felt.
"I have to—DEFEAT THE ENEMY!!!"
With a roar that poured every ounce of her strength into it, a massive, radiant scarlet magic circle erupted beneath her feet!
Though there was no breeze, her fiery red hair whipped upward, dancing like blazing flames!
A tidal wave of invisible magical power surged outward, shaking the surrounding trees violently, sending leaves spiraling. The moment those leaves touched the scarlet glow radiating from Erza's body, they were silently shredded into fragments!
Countless streams of scarlet light, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, surged through her arms and body, flooding into the sword she gripped tightly!
The cold silver blade was instantly engulfed in blazing scarlet, glowing and humming with power!
"Damn it!!!" The smugness on the robed man's face vanished, replaced by sheer terror, his voice cracking. "How could this brat's magic power be so…?!"
He frantically accelerated the dark magic in his hand.
[Heart-Devouring Black Flame]
A massive, python-like torrent of black-purple magical energy roared toward Erza, its chilling aura threatening to crush her and the forest behind her!
The black-purple beam charged forward like a flood, colliding head-on with the scarlet light sword flying toward it.
Compared to the overwhelming dark torrent, the scarlet sword in Erza's hand looked pitifully fragile, like a candle flickering in a storm.
Yet, it wasn't consumed by the darkness! Instead, like a red-hot nail, it pierced through the core of the destructive black-purple magic with unmatched sharpness and heat, slicing and tearing it apart inch by inch!
"My magic… suppressed?!" The man stared in horror as the deadly scarlet point grew larger in his vision, the chill of death freezing his limbs. "No! I'm a B-rank mage! How could a newly awakened brat overpower me?!"
Just as the scarlet light was about to pierce his body—
Whoosh!
The light stopped abruptly, as if hitting an invisible wall.
The man's sweat-soaked face lit up with the wild joy of a narrow escape. "That's right! I still have my protective magic artifact! No matter how strong a brat's magic is—"
Crack!
A faint, almost imperceptible cracking sound rang out, but to the man, it was like a bolt of lightning from the heavens!
His smile froze, his eyes bulging with terror.
Crack… crack… CRACK!
The sound grew louder, more distinct! And then—
SHATTER!!!
Like crystal breaking apart, the sound exploded! The halted scarlet light broke through all barriers, piercing the man's chest like a red-hot iron through paper, embedding itself deep into the tree trunk behind him, the hilt still quivering!
"I… I did it!"
A surge of joy flooded Erza's heart, nearly making her cheer.
But in the next moment, her strength drained away like water from a broken dam. Her legs buckled, and with a thud, she collapsed to her knees.
"So… so tired…" Her eyelids felt like lead, her vision blurring and spinning.
"Not yet… I can't sleep… Roger… Roger's still…"
"You… damned… BRAT!!!"
A venomous, crazed roar pierced her fading consciousness like an icy spike!
Her eyes snapped open, pupils shrinking in utter shock!
How?! The sword pierced his heart! How is he still…?!
Through the dissipating smoke, the robed man's figure reappeared.
At the gaping hole in his chest where the light sword had struck, no blood flowed—only eerie black flames danced wildly, like hellfire from the abyss!
His face was twisted with pain and rage, each step toward Erza radiating murderous intent.
"Troublesome seeds like you… only get in the way!" His voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows. "For Lord Zeref, even if I die, I'll drag you to hell with me!"
Erza clawed at the ground, desperate to push herself up, but her arms trembled like leaves in a storm. She barely lifted herself before collapsing again, her cheek slamming into the cold dirt.
Despair swallowed her like an icy tide.
"Is this… really… the end…?" Her consciousness drifted like a kite with a broken string, falling into darkness.
"Of course not."
A calm voice cut through the heavy clouds like sunlight, ringing clearly.
At that moment, both the struggling Erza and the staggering man froze!
"Roger!!!" Erza's weak voice carried a burst of incredulous joy.
"You! You're still alive?!" The man's voice trembled with horrified disbelief.
Roger's figure emerged, his steps light, his eyes unusually bright, though his face was slightly pale.
He walked to Erza's side, crouching down and gently placing a warm hand on her dust-covered red hair.
"Erza, you've done more than enough," he said, his voice soothing like a balm. "You're exhausted, aren't you? Rest now. Leave the rest to me."
Those simple words lifted the crushing weight from Erza's shoulders.
Her taut nerves relaxed, and her consciousness slipped into darkness.
Just before she passed out, the faintest, most relieved smile curved her lips.
"Mm…"
As Erza drifted into unconsciousness, Roger stood slowly, turning to face the man with eerie black flames flickering in his chest.
"A kid… who can't even use magic…" The man forced down his rising panic, trying to regain his composure. He raised a trembling hand, a faint black-purple magic circle struggling to form in his palm.
"You're just bluffing! What can you do now?!"
Roger didn't answer, only flashing a cold smirk. He stepped forward, unhurried but with an intangible pressure, closing in on the man.
"Living connection magic—a spell that transmits information between linked individuals," Roger said, his voice low but clear. "And the Seven Kin who thought to use such a spell… if I had to guess, it was Ultear's idea, wasn't it?"
The name struck the man like lightning!
His attempt to cast magic faltered, his eyes wide with shock, his face etched with even greater terror than when the sword had pierced him.
"You… how do you know Lady Ultear's name?! Who… who are you?!"
His words cut off abruptly!
In the moment of his shocked distraction, Roger's figure blurred like a phantom, closing the distance in a few steps!
As the man's mouth hung open in shock, Roger's left hand flicked, shoving a small, unremarkable metal orb into his mouth!
In the same instant, Roger's right fist clenched, delivering a brutal uppercut to the man's jaw!
"Urgh—!"
The impact snapped the man's head back! The searing pain and shock forced his throat muscles to contract reflexively—gulp!
The cold metal orb was swallowed whole!
"Cough! Cough, cough!" The man's face turned ashen. "What did you make me swallow?!"
"Urgh—!!!" He clutched his throat, doubling over, gagging violently to expel the object.
BOOM!
A muffled explosion, as if from deep within his body, rang out clearly!
"Urgh…!!!"
The man's bloodshot eyes bulged, his body curling like a shrimp struck by an invisible hammer!
Agony tore through his organs, stealing his ability to scream, leaving only guttural rasps from his throat.
Thick, acrid black smoke poured uncontrollably from his mouth and nose.
He staggered back, his twisted, pain-wracked body slamming into a charred tree trunk.
His body slid down slowly, collapsing with a thud, his lifeless eyes staring blankly at the gray sky, devoid of life.
Confirming the enemy's death, Roger's strength gave out, and he dropped to one knee, clutching his aching chest, gasping heavily. Each breath tugged at his organs, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Ugh… magic attacks are no joke. Feels like my insides got rearranged," he muttered with a bitter smile.
"But hearing 'Seven Kin' and 'Ultear' confirms it."
"This… is the world of Fairy Tail."
Distant shouts and the crackle of magic explosions echoed faintly.
Hearing them, Roger struggled to stand.
"I've got to get Erza out of here, fast."
[Ding! Enemy defeated. Gained 800 Magic Power.]
[Awakened Contract Magic. System Activated.]
[Obtained Small Healing Potion x10]
[Small Healing Potion: Restores 50–130 HP. Usable in combat.]
[Obtained Small Magic Recovery Potion x10]
[Small Magic Recovery Potion: Restores 50 Magic Power. Usable in combat.]
[Obtained Black Feather Armor]
[Black Feather Armor: Increases wearer's speed, grants short-term gliding ability, and stacks attack power with each strike, up to 20 stacks.]
[Obtained Illusion Magic]
[Tangible Illusions: Can transform intangible illusions into tangible forms or convert tangible illusions into intangible ones.]