Chapter 177 Shocking the Oración Seis
"I didn't expect there would be such a powerful guy..."
The muttering came from Lyon Vastia, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he stared into the dense, foreboding woodlands of the Worth Woodsea. Since Lyon had joined Lamia Scale, his path as a mage had been relatively smooth sailing. His ice magic was formidable, his rank was high, and he had garnered respect.
In this joint operation, he hadn't taken the Oración Seis seriously, believing them to be just another group of criminals to be frozen and shattered.
But in the brief skirmish that had just occurred, the reality of the situation had crashed down upon him. He felt as though he had been easily toyed with by the opponent—specifically Racer. He had been helpless, unable to even track the enemy's movements, let alone land a hit.
"There is always someone stronger, Lyon. The world is vast, and the peaks of magic are high. I have long taught you this principle," Jura Neekis said, his deep voice carrying a solemn weight. The Iron Rock stood tall, though his expression was grave.
"The Oración Seis can become one of the strongest Dark Guilds in the Ishgar Continent for a reason. They rely on overwhelming, monstrous strength."
Jura himself had briefly clashed with Brain, the leader. Although the battle time was not long, he was indeed entangled and found himself almost unable to lend a hand to the younger mages. One of them was difficult enough; facing all six gathered together, their combined magical pressure was suffocating.
The atmosphere in the clearing was heavy. The Allied Forces—Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Cait Shelter—were regrouping, licking their wounds after the ambush.
"E-everyone, are you all uninjured? I'm sorry! I... I was too scared and didn't help! If anyone is injured, I can relieve pain and heal wounds."
A timid voice broke the silence. Wendy Marvell stood near a tree, her small hands clutching her dress, looking down with intense guilt. During the battle just now, the terrifying killing intent of the Dark Mages had paralyzed her. She had spent the entire time hiding behind a rock, trembling.
"Healing? You can heal injuries?" Erza Scarlet looked at the young girl, surprised. "Isn't that a form of Lost Magic?"
The other mages exchanged glances of shock. In the world of Earth Land, magical healing was incredibly rare. Most mages relied on natural recovery, potions, or medical treatment. Instant magical healing was a relic of the past, something largely lost to modern history.
"You idiot! Be more confident!" Carla, the white Exceed, flew over and crossed her arms, scolding her charge. "Lift your head up, child! Tell them who you are!"
"I... um..." Wendy took a shaky breath. "I am a Sky Dragon Slayer Mage."
"Dragon Slayer Mage?!"
Natsu Dragneel's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped slightly. "Wait, seriously?"
He sniffed the air, finally picking up on a scent he had missed in the chaos—a scent that was distinct, crisp, and ancient, much like his own and Gajeel's. He was a bit confused. He hadn't encountered another Dragon Slayer for years, thinking he was unique. Then Gajeel appeared, then Laxus (though he was a fake), and now this little girl? It felt like Dragon Slayer Mages were suddenly becoming common commodities in Fiore.
"So that's why..." Gray Fullbuster rubbed the back of his neck. "Fire, Iron, and now Sky? That explains the healing properties."
Just as the group was processing this revelation, a loud, melodramatic voice rang out from the edge of the clearing.
"Everyone! My apologies for the delay! I have come to save you from the darkness!"
Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice, seeing Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki huffing and puffing as he ran towards them. His short stature and unique face were unmistakable, as was the sparkle that seemed to naturally follow him.
"Mr. Ichiya!"
The three members of the Trimens—Hibiki Lates, Eve Tearm, and Ren Akatsuki—were all pleasantly surprised, their faces lighting up with adoration.
"Men! That's great! I knew Mr. Ichiya wouldn't be defeated so easily!" Hibiki exclaimed, relieved.
Ichiya struck a pose, pointing a finger to the sky. "Those unrefined brutes from the Oración Seis have absolutely no martial ethics! They actually launched a sneak attack when I was in the restroom dealing with a delicate stomach situation! It was a foul ambush on my parfum! It's only because they outnumbered me; if it were a one-on-one fight, I would definitely have taken him down with my handsome sparkling moves."
"As expected of Mr. Ichiya!"
"So cool, Master!"
The three members of Blue Pegasus complimented him without a hint of irony, completely buying into his excuse. The Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale members just stared blankly, choosing not to comment on the absurdity.
Jura cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to the matter at hand. He turned his gaze toward the young man with white hair and dark glasses standing calmly nearby.
"Ren-dono," Jura addressed him with respect, using a polite honorific. "Now that our initial plan has been seen through and Blue Pegasus's magic bomber, Christina, has also been shot down, we are at a tactical disadvantage. What should we do next?"
Among the people present, Ren's strength was undeniably the strongest. It was natural for Jura, even as a Wizard Saint, to consult his opinion. This hierarchy was undisputed, especially after everyone had witnessed how Ren alone had just scared away all the members of the Oración Seis with sheer presence.
Ren adjusted his sunglasses slightly. "Since that's the case, there's only one way: a head-on confrontation. We hunt them down before they find what they're looking for. But before that, let's summarize our failures. If we don't know why we lost the skirmish, we will still lose the next time we face them."
Hearing Ren's words, Erza nodded in agreement. Her armor was scratched, a testament to the fierce exchange. "He's right. We were overwhelmed by their unique abilities."
"Their teamwork is too good," Lucy Heartfilia added, shivering slightly. "They moved like they shared a single mind."
"And that guy named Racer... his speed is too fast!" Gray slammed his fist into his palm. "I couldn't even finish casting a spell before he was behind me."
"Yeah! So fast that we can't react at all!" Lyon agreed, frustration evident in his voice.
Everyone was talking at once, mostly about Racer. Each of them had been attacked by the speedster, and most of them present had been knocked down before they could even register the attack. Erza, relying on her heightened combat instincts and reflex-enhancing armor, had managed to block several of Racer's attacks, but it had been a desperate defense.
Ren listened to their complaints, his expression impassive. Finally, he spoke.
"Fast? What are you talking about? That guy's speed is very ordinary."
The clearing went silent.
"Ordinary?" Natsu blinked.
"So fast and yet called ordinary? Only you, Ren, could say something so crazy!" Gray looked at him incredulously.
Ren waved his hand dismissively. "No, when I say ordinary, I mean ordinary. I'm not comparing him to myself. In my opinion, that guy's physical speed is only slightly faster than yours, Lyon. It is far from the 'too fast to react' phenomenon you're all describing."
Erza narrowed her eyes, thinking. "Could it be because of your Six Eyes, Ren?"
Erza knew that Ren's eyes in his current state were very special. They granted him a 360-degree field of vision, the ability to see magic flow in atomic detail, and terrifying perception that slowed the world down for him. It made sense that he could see things they couldn't.
"Although my Six Eyes can perceive that guy's movements perfectly, I can still objectively distinguish between the physical speeds of different people," Ren explained, his tone analytical. "If he were truly moving at the speed of sound, the environmental impact would be different. There were no sonic booms, no tearing of the wind."
Ren frowned slightly beneath his glasses. It had been more than a year since his transmigration to the Fairy Tail world. While he remembered the major plot points, some specific details of the enemies' abilities were a bit fuzzy. However, his eyes didn't lie. He saw the anomaly in the mana around Racer.
"It's not pure speed," Ren hinted, though he didn't fully explain the mechanics of the slowing magic just yet. He wanted them to figure it out, or at least be wary.
"Then it might be a problem with his magic affecting us," Erza guessed, her sharp mind catching onto the lead.
"Don't worry about it for now. I will deal with this guy when the time comes," Ren decided, cutting the speculation short. "We need to cover more ground. We will split into four groups. Blue Pegasus as one group. Lamia Scale as one group. Fairy Tail—Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza—as one group."
Ren paused, then looked at the small girl. "And Wendy, Carla, and I will form the final group."
"Eh? Me?" Wendy pointed at herself, surprised.
"Yes. Your healing magic is crucial, and you need protection. I'll ensure your safety," Ren said calmly.
"Depart — — — ! !"
With the orders given, the Allied Forces dispersed into the vast, ancient forest, moving in different directions to locate the enemy base.
Meanwhile, deep in the darkest part of the Worth Woodsea.
Hidden within a cavernous stronghold, a complex magic circle illuminated the damp rock walls.
Swish — — — — !
Space warped, and the six members of the Oración Seis appeared in the center of their hideout.
"As expected of Ren... he truly lives up to his reputation!"
Brain, the dark-skinned leader of the guild with tribal markings on his face, let out a slight sigh of relief, leaning heavily on his staff. His heart was still racing. "He truly was the one who could defeat Jose, the Guild Master of Phantom Lord. The pressure he exerts just by standing there is... abnormal."
"Brain, why did we retreat? Wasn't that a good opportunity to completely eliminate them?!"
Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, sat perched on a rock, his face twisted in displeasure. Beside him, his giant purple snake, Cubellios, hissed in agitation. "I could hear his movements. Just now, Cubellios was hit, and I was punched in the gut. I hadn't even used my magic yet! I don't think I would lose to that opponent if I went all out."
"Cobra is right. I was a bit careless just now," Racer paced back and forth, his long scarf trailing behind him. "If I had made a serious move, I definitely wouldn't have let him touch a single hair on my head! My speed is absolute!"
Racer was seething with anger. As soon as he had attempted to blitz Ren, he was casually swatted away like a fly. He had never suffered such a humiliating loss of face before.
Brain frowned, slamming the butt of his staff against the stone floor. "Fools! Have you forgotten what our purpose for being here is? We are here to secure Nirvana, not to engage in meaningless brawls with monsters."
He looked at his subordinates with a stern gaze. "As for Ren... that guy hasn't even used the transformation that defeated Jose Porla, one of the Ten Wizard Saints. If he uses that form—the one described as a giant wielding the power to crack the very air—do you think you have a chance of winning?"
"..."
The cavern fell silent. Cobra and Racer stopped their complaints.
They had naturally all gathered intelligence on the battle between Ren and Phantom Lord. Originally, the world thought it was a duel between Makarov and Jose, two Ten Wizard Saints. But the dark underground networks knew the truth: Ren had appeared out of nowhere and defeated Jose by himself.
They were arrogant, yes, but they were not blind idiots. The strength of a Wizard Saint was catastrophic. If Ren possessed a form, the 'Whitebeard' transformation, that could crush a Saint, engaging him without a plan was suicide.
"Gemini," Brain turned to the two small, floating blue creatures that had been captured earlier—or rather, that Angel had summoned after clashing with the Celestial Spirit Mage. "You copied that blonde girl, Lucy, and her memories. You were so scared before, trembling in fear. You must have held back a lot of information to protect your psyche. Tell me everything."
"Piri... piri..." The two Geminis floated forward, transforming into an exact replica of Lucy Heartfilia.
"Yes! We saw it in her memories," Gemini-Lucy said, her voice trembling slightly as she accessed the deep fears and awe within Lucy's mind. "The information about Ren... it is terrifying."
"Speak," Brain commanded.
Gemini began to reveal the hidden depths of Ren's achievements, listing them one by one.
"Ren's battle with the Celestial Spirit King... he fought the King of the Stars to a standstill and won."
"What?!" Angel, the Celestial Spirit Mage of the Oración Seis, gasped. "That's impossible! The Spirit King is a myth!"
"It is true," Gemini continued. "Then, Ren's battle with Jellal at the Tower of Paradise. He defeated Jellal completely."
Brain's eyes narrowed. "Jellal... my former student. He possessed the power of a Saint as well. That means two Ten Wizard Saints were defeated by this man."
"And... the last one," Gemini hesitated, the fear palpable in their voice. "During the Tower of Paradise incident... the Magic Council fired Etherion."
"The Satellite Cannon?" Hoteye asked, his permanent grin faltering.
"Ren... he didn't dodge it. He didn't block it." Gemini looked at the Oración Seis members, delivering the final blow to their confidence. "He used Space Magic to teleport the entire blast of Etherion away into the void."
The silence in the cave was deafening.
"Teleported... Etherion?!"
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