Chapter 182 Nirvana
"Come out! I know you're here!"
After Lyon Vastia and Sherry Blendy had departed from the scene, Jura Neekis remained alone amidst the silent ruins of the battlefield. The dust from the previous conflict still hung in the air, catching the shafts of sunlight piercing through the dense canopy of the Worth Woodsea. Jura stood immovable, his cape fluttering gently in the wind, his gaze sharp and unwavering as he scanned the seemingly empty forest clearing.
Rumble—!
Without warning, the earth beneath Jura's feet began to tremble violently. It wasn't the rhythmic shaking of an earthquake, but something far more unsettling. The solid soil, rocks, and grass suddenly lost their cohesion. The ground began to flow, swirl, and spin like a turbulent ocean storm. It was as if the laws of physics governing the earth had been rewritten in an instant, turning the forest floor into a treacherous whirlpool of liquid mud aimed at swallowing him whole.
"Oh?"
Jura's expression remained stoic, though his eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately adjusted his stance, channeling his magic power into the soles of his feet to counter the softening earth.
"Iron Rock Wall!"
He stabilized his body instantly, hardening the ground directly beneath him to create a secure foothold amidst the flowing quicksand. With a calm, practiced flick of his finger, the earth obeyed his command.
Bang, bang, bang!
Several jagged stone pillars erupted from the stabilized ground, shooting like missiles towards the figure emerging from the shadows of the trees—Hoteye of the Oración Seis.
Hoteye, a tall, imposing man with blocky features and an eccentric demeanor, simply raised his hand with a benevolent yet twisted smile.
"Liquid Ground!"
In an instant, the rock pillars that were hurtling towards him lost their rigidity. They disintegrated mid-air, turning into harmless streams of mud that splashed around him like water striking a rock.
"As expected of one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Hoteye praised, his voice carrying a strange, singsong cadence that belied his dangerous nature. "So many Mages attacked you earlier, yet you weren't harmed in the slightest. Even after the battle ended, your body still retains such powerful magic. It is truly... excellent capital! Yes, indeed!"
Jura stood firm on his pillar of hardened earth, his arms crossed, projecting an aura of unshakable defense. "I'll ask again: my magic can turn the earth as hard as iron, while yours softens it into liquid. So, which one is more powerful? The spear or the shield?"
"Oh, it is not about the magic," Jura continued, his voice resonating with the weight of his experience and moral fortitude. "This has nothing to do with the superiority or inferiority of magic types. In a battle of wills, only those with strong convictions can win. My conviction to protect my guild and this world is harder than any rock!"
"Completely wrong! Completely wrong, yes!" Hoteye spread his arms wide, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical light. "Conviction? Justice? Those are worthless illusions! Victory always belongs to the wealthy! Money is the only truth in this world! With money, one can buy power, buy lives, buy the world itself! Love encompasses all, and money encompasses love!"
Meanwhile, in another part of the chaotic forest, the situation for the Blue Pegasus alliance was dire.
"Open! Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpius!"
Angel, the celestial mage of the Oración Seis, waved her golden key with a cruel, playful smile. A magic circle flared with red light, and from it emerged a man with a distinct appearance—dark red skin, a mechanical tail that loomed over his head like a deadly cannon, and a demeanor that screamed 'cool'.
"We are!" Scorpius struck a pose, his voice rough and energetic.
"Deal with them, Scorpius," Angel commanded lazily, pointing a manicured finger at the exhausted members of Blue Pegasus—Hibiki Lates, Eve Tearm, and Ren Akatsuki.
"Leave it to me, baby! Sand Buster!"
Scorpius dropped to all fours, his mechanical tail aiming directly at the trio of handsome mages. The cannon on his tail began to spin rapidly, gathering immense magical energy.
"Sandstorm!"
Whoosh—!
A violent, high-pressure tornado of sand erupted from his tail. It wasn't just wind; it was a grinding, shredding torrent of grit that tore through the trees and earth alike. The sheer force of the sandstorm engulfed the Blue Pegasus members before they could even react.
"Ugh!"
"Wah!"
Hibiki, Eve, and Ren Akatsuki screamed as their bodies were swept up into the air. The sand flayed their skin and the wind spun them disorientingly. For a moment, their world was nothing but pain and vertigo as they were tossed around like ragdolls in a hurricane.
Bang, bang, bang!
The tornado dissipated as quickly as it had formed, dropping them mercilessly onto the hard ground. They lay there, battered and bruised, their clothes torn and their magic power critically drained. Ren Akatsuki groaned, clutching his shoulder, while Eve struggled to lift his head.
"Ah ha ha ha! How boring, to be defeated so easily," Angel laughed, looking down at them with contempt. "Is this the best the 'Trimens' of Blue Pegasus can do? Oh! Right, let me show you something interesting! Something that will break your hearts."
Angel pulled out another golden key, twirling it between her fingers. "Open! Gate of the Ram! Aries!"
A soft light shimmered, and a timid, pink-haired girl with sheep horns appeared. She wore fluffy, wool-like clothes and looked at the ground, trembling slightly.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Aries whispered, her voice filled with apology.
"This is... Karen's Celestial Spirit..." Hibiki, lying on the ground and clutching his chest, stared at Aries with wide, disbelief-filled eyes. "Why... Why are you controlling Karen's Celestial Spirit?!"
His body trembled uncontrollably. Karen Lilica was a former member of Blue Pegasus and a renowned Celestial Spirit Mage. They all knew Aries; they knew how Karen had treated her, and they knew Karen had died at the hands of the Oración Seis's leader, Angel. Seeing Aries now, forced to serve her former master's killer, was a knife to Hibiki's heart.
"Because I killed her, of course," Angel said with a chillingly sweet smile, reaching out to pat Aries on the head as if she were a pet. "This is a trophy from that time, you know. I took her keys, her spirits, and her life."
She looked down at Hibiki, enjoying the despair on his face. "You were also that guy's lover, weren't you? Then it must be very interesting to kill you all with your former lover's Celestial Spirit! The irony is simply delicious!"
"Do it, Aries," Angel ordered coldly. "Take them down! Wool Bomb!"
"Yes... Yes..." Aries raised her hands tremblingly, pink wool gathering in her palms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she prepared to attack the former comrades of her previous owner.
Deep within the Endless Forest, shadows stretched long and twisted.
"Found it! Master Brain! We found Nirvana!"
A subordinate of the Oración Seis came running through the underbrush, shouting excitedly as he approached the leader of the Dark Guild.
Brain, a man with distinct markings on his face and wielding a skull-topped staff, stopped in his tracks. His face immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise, his eyes widening with anticipation.
"Where is it?! Quickly take me there!"
"Yes! Follow me!"
The subordinate quickly led Brain through a dense, overgrown path that seemed untouched by light for centuries. The air grew heavier, suffused with an ancient, dark magic that made the skin crawl.
A short while later, they arrived at a very secluded clearing. The trees here were withered and black, twisting away from the center as if in fear. In the middle of the clearing stood a gigantic, pillar-like structure made of dark wood and stone, wrapped in massive, rusted chains that pulsed with a faint, ominous light. It looked like a giant tree of death, dormant but alive.
Brain walked forward, his steps trembling with excitement. He reached out a hand, gently touching the cold, rough surface of the sealed magic. He could feel it—the heartbeat of a catastrophic power sleeping within.
"Yes... yes! It's it! It's it! Nirvana! I finally found it!" Brain's voice rose to a crescendo, filled with manic delight. "The magic that can interchange light and darkness! With this, the world will be plunged into chaos!"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!"
The surrounding Dark Guild members all cheered upon hearing Brain's words, their voices echoing eerily in the silent forest.
Back at the battlefield with Blue Pegasus.
"What a bunch of good-for-nothings! Dawdling around, taking so long to defeat these guys!" Angel huffed, watching Aries hesitate. "I... I'm sorry..." Aries stammered.
"Forget it, I'll do it myself!" Angel snapped. Seeing that Aries hadn't managed to deal the finishing blow to the few people for a long time, she decided to take matters into her own hands to ensure their deaths.
Just then, a voice resonated directly in her mind.
[Angel, come here. Nirvana has been found.]
It was Brain's voice via telepathy.
Angel's face immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise upon hearing this. The boredom vanished, replaced by eager anticipation. The Oración Seis had been searching for this legendary magic for so long, and they had finally secured it. Compared to Nirvana, these Blue Pegasus trash were insignificant.
Angel glanced at the Blue Pegasus members—Hibiki, Eve, and Ren Akatsuki—lying on the ground, unable to move. They glared at her with hatred, but they were powerless.
"Hmph, consider yourselves lucky," Angel sneered, withdrawing her keys. Aries and Scorpius vanished in puffs of smoke. "My prayers have been answered elsewhere. Try not to die before the world ends."
Angel turned and vanished into the forest, leaving the battered mages behind.
Elsewhere, the battle between the Saint and the Villain raged on.
Jura and Hoteye continued their intense duel. Stone pillars crashed against waves of liquid earth, creating a chaotic landscape of mud and rock. Their magic countered each other perfectly—hardness against softness, rigidity against fluidity—so neither could gain a decisive advantage in a short time.
[Hoteye, come here. Nirvana has been found.]
Brain's voice echoed in Hoteye's mind as well.
Hoteye froze mid-attack. The manic energy that drove his fighting spirit suddenly shifted.
"It seems the battle can only end here for now," Hoteye announced, straightening his posture and dusting off his coat.
Jura narrowed his eyes, sensing the sudden change in his opponent's demeanor. "What do you mean?"
"Because of money!" Hoteye declared, his eyes shining with greed. "Something even more valuable has appeared! Compared to fighting you, obtaining that power is far more profitable! Oh, yes! Money is waiting!"
After Hoteye finished speaking, the ground beneath his feet surged like ocean waves. He surfed atop the flowing earth, carrying his body away quickly into the dense foliage.
"Ran away?"
Jura lowered his guard slightly, watching the retreating figure. The opponent left before a winner was decided, which gave Jura a bad feeling. The Oración Seis wouldn't retreat unless they had achieved their primary objective.
"Damn it! Why can't I hit this guy!"
Natsu Dragneel roared in frustration, his fists wreathed in flames. He punched the air, but his target was already gone.
"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray Fullbuster shouted, sending a volley of ice spears towards their enemy.
But Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer, dodged every attack with eerie precision. He moved as if he knew exactly where the attacks would land before they were even launched.
"Too slow! Too slow!" Cobra laughed, perched on a tree branch. "As I said, because of my hearing magic, I can hear your thoughts! I know your next move before you even make it!"
He tapped his ear arrogantly. "You think 'I'll punch with my right,' and I hear it. You think 'I'll attack from the left,' and I hear it. It's useless!"
Erza Scarlet frowned, observing the battle. "Thoughts... is it similar to Warren's Telepathy Magic? If so, every tactical thought is a telegraph to him."
"If thinking is the problem..." Erza's eyes sharpened.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
A golden light flashed, and Erza appeared in her majestic armor, four metal wings spreading behind her. Dozens of swords floated around her in a deadly halo.
"Heaven's Wheel: Circle Sword!"
The swords shot towards Cobra from all directions. Cobra smirked. "I can hear it! You're aiming for my left, right, and center!" He twisted his body, dodging the barrage with snake-like fluidity.
But the next instant, Erza appeared directly behind Cobra.
"What?!"
Cobra's eyes widened. He hadn't heard a specific thought command for this movement. It was pure instinct.
Pfft!
Cobra quickly tried to dodge, but he was a fraction of a second too late. Erza's sword sliced through the air, and a shallow cut appeared on his arm. Blood trickled down.
Erza landed gracefully, looking at Cobra with a calm gaze. "You can hear other people's thoughts, so I just emptied my mind. I fought based on my body's instincts and reflexes. You can't hear a thought that doesn't exist."
Cobra's eyes narrowed slightly, emitting a dangerous light. He clutched his injured arm, his arrogance replaced by a cold fury. "Pain... I can hear my own skin screaming... You..."
His injury made him realize he couldn't underestimate this woman. Titania Erza... she was dangerous. Just as he was about to unleash his true power and call upon his snake...
[Cobra, come here. Nirvana has been found!]
Cobra heard Brain's voice in his mind. His expression shifted from anger to surprise, and then to a smirk.
"I'll let you off this time!" Cobra spat, stepping back. "The next time we meet will be your death! I will make you scream in agony that I can hear for miles! Cubellios!"
Cobra shouted, and the large purple serpent beside him hissed. A magic circle appeared, and the serpent's body became enormous. Massive, leathery wings sprouted from its back.
Cobra stepped onto the great serpent's back. "Let's go!"
Cubellios flapped its wings, creating a gust of wind that forced Natsu and the others to cover their eyes. The serpent carried Cobra into the air, flying towards the distance with incredible speed.
"Don't run!"
Natsu immediately wanted to ignite his flames and chase after him. "Come back here, you poison bastard!"
Erza reached out and stopped Natsu. "Don't rush, Natsu! Be careful of an ambush!"
"But Erza! He's getting away!"
"Look at us," Erza said sternly. "Several people are quite injured. Our stamina and magic power are greatly depleted from these skirmishes. Rushing over now would be suicide if we walked into a trap prepared by the enemy. We need to regroup."
Rumble—!
Just then, the earth shook violently again, stronger than before. A dark, oppressive energy washed over the entire forest.
A gigantic black pillar of light shot up into the sky from the center of the Endless Forest, piercing the clouds and dyeing the sky in an ominous shade of purple and black.
Ren looked towards the pillar of light, his expression calm: "Have they found it?"
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