Chapter 186: The Name of the Ten Wizard Saints
"That guy... he's the one who's been asleep the whole time!"
Lucy Heartfilia pointed a trembling finger at the figure floating casually on a flying carpet amidst the chaos. It was a young man with distinct black and white hair, resting with his eyes closed as if the destruction of the world was merely a lullaby.
"It's Midnight... I remember now. He hasn't moved a muscle since the battle began."
"We'll take care of this guy!"
Lyon Vastia stepped forward, his white coat fluttering in the magical wind. His expression was a mixture of determination and competitive fire.
Internally, Lyon was calculating the score. Ren had already single-handedly defeated two members of the Oración Seis—Racer and Angel. That meant Fairy Tail had taken down two major threats. In contrast, Lamia Scale had yet to secure a decisive victory. Even if Jura-san defeated Brain later, their guild would still be lagging behind in contribution.
For the pride of Lamia Scale, and for his own pride as an Ice Mage, this record was unacceptable. He couldn't allow Fairy Tail—and especially Gray—to look down on them.
"Leave him to me," Lyon declared, ice magic already condensing around his hands.
Ren, observing from the side, leaned back slightly with a relaxed posture. Seeing everyone so eager to fight the enemy, he was more than happy to stay idle and conserve his energy for the main event. He watched with amusement, curious to see how they would handle the peculiar magic of the sleeping boy.
"Ice-Make: Eagle!!"
Lyon didn't hesitate. He thrust his hands forward, and the ambient moisture in the air instantly froze. A flock of dozens of intricate, razor-sharp ice eagles materialized, screeching silently as they swooped down towards the sleeping Midnight with incredible speed.
"Lyon! You're making decisions on your own again!"
Gray Fullbuster yelled, immediately stepping up beside his senior disciple. He had no intention of letting his rival hog the glory. Natsu and Erza had each picked an opponent, and Ren was in a league of his own. Gray refused to fall behind.
However, just as the flock of ice eagles was about to tear into Midnight, a strange phenomenon occurred.
The space around Midnight seemed to warp like a heat haze. Without Midnight lifting a finger, the trajectory of the ice eagles twisted violently. They veered off course, crashing harmlessly into the rubble beside the floating carpet.
"What?!"
Lyon was startled, his eyes widening. He didn't understand what had just happened. "I didn't miss... they were diverted?"
"Marionette Attack: Rock Doll!"
Sherry Blendy, not wanting to be left out, joined the offensive. She focused her magic on the debris of the ruined city. The surrounding broken houses and cobblestones began to deform, rattling together and merging rapidly to form a hulking giant made of stone and mortar.
"Smash him!"
The Rock Doll roared—a sound of grinding stone—and swung a massive, house-sized fist down towards Midnight's head.
Boom—!
The impact shook the ground, but not because it hit the target. Just millimeters before the fist connected with Midnight's face, the space distorted again. The giant fist defied the laws of physics, snapping sideways at a ninety-degree angle and smashing into the empty air beside Midnight.
Midnight finally moved. He lazily raised a slender hand and waved it dismissively, like shooing a fly.
Swoosh—!
The air screamed. The Rock Doll's massive body was neatly sliced in half by an invisible force. The slash continued, cutting clean through a nearby building, causing the upper half to slide off with a deafening crash.
Midnight flicked his wrist again.
The shattered remains of the Rock Doll and the falling masonry were suddenly seized by an invisible grip and hurled back towards the alliance members with the force of a cannonball.
"Ice-Make: Wall!"
Gray reacted instantly. He slammed his palms onto the ground, conjuring a thick, translucent barricade of reinforced ice.
Boom—!
The debris collided with the ice wall, shattering it into a million glittering shards, but the attack was successfully blocked.
Lyon exhaled a cold breath, glancing at Gray. "Butt out, Gray! I saw him first."
Gray smirked, cracking his knuckles. "You're the one butting out. I never said I was going to let you handle this guy alone. Besides, your eagles missed."
"Hmph! Then let's see who takes him down first!"
"Bring it on!"
Rip—!
In perfect synchronization, both disciples of Ur grabbed the hems of their shirts and ripped them off, tossing them aside to reveal their toned physiques.
Lucy, standing in the back, blushed furiously and covered her eyes, though she peeked through her fingers. "Why?! Why do they have to take off their clothes... and why are both of them doing it now?!"
She was used to seeing Gray strip due to his subconscious habit, but seeing Lyon join in made her question if this was some sort of requirement for Ice-Make Magic.
While the younger generation engaged Midnight, the battle of the heavyweights was about to begin.
Jura Neekis, the Ace of Lamia Scale, stood before Brain like an immovable mountain. His bald head reflected the chaotic lights of the battlefield, and his expression was stern.
"Tell me your objective," Jura demanded, his deep voice cutting through the noise. "What do you want with 'Nirvana' so desperately?"
Brain chuckled, a dry, rasping sound. "It seems you know nothing, Wizard Saint. 'Nirvana' is not merely a weapon; it is the great equalizer. It is Ultra-Reversal Magic. It can corrupt Light Guilds in an instant, turning their morality into darkness."
Brain spread his arms wide, his face twisted in ecstasy. "It's truly exciting! Imagine the righteous turning wicked, friends turning on friends! We will be able to witness a Hell-like scene of mutual slaughter!"
Jura closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them with a hardened resolve. "I see. If that is your goal—to sow chaos and trample on the bonds of friendship—then there is nothing more to say."
"Disappear, you maggots!"
Brain grinned menacingly at Jura, raising his staff, Klodoa.
Jura merely raised a single finger.
Boom—!!
The earth obeyed his command instantly. The ground beneath Brain shattered, and a massive column of rock erupted upward, blasting the leader of the Oración Seis into the air before he could even finish his chant.
Brain tumbled through the air, correcting his posture with a look of genuine shock. "...This... this kind of magic power is..."
Jura stood calmly, his coat settling around him. With a solemn expression, he beckoned to Brain. "Get up. Since you're the leader of the Oración Seis, show me your strength. Do not disappoint me, or I will utterly crush you."
Lucy stared, her jaw dropping. "This old man is so strong!!"
Sherry puffed out her chest, looking proud. "Of course he is! Jura-sama is one of the Ten Wizard Saints! He is the pride of Lamia Scale!"
Ren, watching from a distance, nodded in agreement.
'He lives up to the reputation,' Ren analyzed silently.
Jura Neekis was the real deal. In terms of both magic control and raw magical power reserves, he fully deserved the title of 'Ten Wizard Saints.' Unlike the disgraced Jose Porla, whose heart had wavered, Jura's spirit was as solid as the earth he commanded.
From a System perspective, Ren estimated Jura's current magic power to be around six and a half stars, perhaps even approaching the seven-star threshold. Strictly speaking, in terms of raw reserves, Jura might currently be slightly above Ren's base form.
Although Jura's magic attribute—Earth Magic—was somewhat ordinary compared to Lost Magic or Dragon Slayer Magic, his mastery over it was absolute. He had refined a simple concept to the pinnacle of perfection.
"I see," Ren murmured. "It's a bit surprising. It seems the title of Ten Wizard Saints is not just for show!"
Brain, humiliated, roared in anger. "Don't get cocky, bald man! Dark Rhapsody!"
Brain raised his staff, and violent purple magic power condensed at the tip. It screamed as it released a barrage of screaming dark phantoms that tore through the air like vengeful ghosts.
"Iron Rock Wall!!"
Jura slammed his palms together. Enormous pillars of rock, reinforced with iron-hard magic, rose instantly to form a fortress.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
The dark phantoms slammed into the wall, exploding harmlessly against the absolute defense.
"He took the bait," Brain sneered. He used the smoke from the explosion to vanish, reappearing instantly behind Jura using high-speed movement magic.
"Dark Capriccio!!"
Brain thrust his staff forward. This was his piercing spell, designed to drill through any defense. A concentrated beam of darkness spiraled towards Jura's exposed back.
"Hmph!"
Jura didn't even turn around. He let out a soft snort and simply pointed his hand backward over his shoulder.
The rocks of the ground defied gravity, twisting and rising like living tentacles to intercept the beam.
"It's useless!! Dark Capriccio is a penetrating magic! This kind of ordinary rock can be easily pierced!!" Brain shouted triumphantly.
Crack!!
The dark beam drilled into the rock shield, cracking the surface and diving deep.
"Hah!"
Jura shouted a kiai, waving his hand downwards with force.
The rocks didn't just block; they flowed. The stone bent and curved like water, grabbing the beam of darkness and forcibly redirecting its vector. The beam was forced upwards, shooting harmlessly into the sky.
"What?!!"
Brain's eyes bulged. He had never seen someone manipulate hard earth with such fluidity.
"Amazing!!"
Ren couldn't help but applaud Jura's skill. "To manipulate the density and fluidity of stone to redirect a piercing attack... that's top-tier control."
Brain was visibly flustered now. His strongest attacks were being treated like child's play.
"Ha!!"
Jura didn't give him time to recover. He clenched his fist, and the rock pillar that had blocked the attack shattered into hundreds of jagged fragments. With a wave of his hand, Jura turned the debris into a shotgun blast.
Bang bang bang!!
The rocks pummeled Brain from all directions, breaking through his magical barriers.
"Wh-what... is this?! I am Brain! I am the conductor of the Six Prayers!!"
"Silence," Jura commanded. The rocks swirled around Brain, encasing him in a tomb of stone.
"Supreme King Rock Crush!!"
Jura clenched his fist.
Boom—!!
The stone tomb imploded with terrifying force.
"Ugh ah ah ah ah!!"
Brain let out a wretched scream as he was crushed by the pressure. As the dust settled, Brain fell to the ground, completely unconscious. The strange, linear markings on his face began to fade, slowly disappearing one by one.
"He's down!! Is this guy really the leader of the Oración Seis?!"
"That's great! As expected of Jura-sama!"
Lucy and Sherry, seeing this overwhelming victory, grabbed each other's hands and jumped up and down in celebration. The tension that had gripped them finally broke.
"Hey! Isn't he your father?" Lucy yelled at Midnight, pointing at the defeated Brain. "Your father was taken down! You're next!"
Midnight, who had been watching the battle with half-lidded eyes, finally showed a reaction. He chuckled—a low, eerie sound.
"It doesn't matter," Midnight said softly, his voice carrying a chilling edge. "The only reason 'Father' was taken down is because he was weak. I am different. I am the strongest Mage, far surpassing my father."
His eyes glowed with a crimson light.
"Spiral Pain!!!"
Midnight waved his hand casually towards the two Ice Mages.
"Ugh ah ah ah ah!"
"Wah ah ah ah ah!"
Gray and Lyon suddenly screamed in agony. The space around them began to twist visually. It wasn't just the air; their armor, their clothes, and even their skin seemed to spiral. An invisible force was twisting their muscles and bones like a wet towel being wrung out.
"Gray!"
"Lyon!"
Lucy and Sherry screamed, horrified by the sudden brutality.
The magic stopped as quickly as it began. Gray and Lyon collapsed to the ground, covered in lacerations, gasping for air, their bodies trembling from the shock of the intense pain.
"Lyon!" Jura's expression darkened. He turned his attention to the sleeping boy. "You harm my comrades..."
"Rock Iron Pillar!"
Jura pointed his finger at Midnight. Massive stone pillars, even faster than the ones used against Brain, erupted from the ground beneath the flying carpet.
However, just as they were about to skewer Midnight, the visual distortion appeared again. The pillars twisted unnaturally, bending backward like rubber, and slammed back down towards Jura.
Jura hadn't expected his own magic to be reflected with such precision. He had no time to dodge.
"Ugh!"
Bam!
Jura was struck by his own stone pillar and sent flying into a pile of rubble.
"Jura-sama!" Sherry cried out, tears welling in her eyes. She turned to Midnight, her face filled with hatred. "You scoundrel... how dare you!"
"Spatial Distortion!"
Midnight looked at Sherry with bored eyes. He waved his hand casually.
Sherry's clothes began to twist. The fabric tightened, turning into steel-like bonds that constricted her limbs and torso. It was a cruel, crushing embrace that threatened to snap her ribs.
"Ugh ah ah ah ah!!"
Sherry let out a painful scream, falling to her knees as the pressure increased.
Midnight looked somewhat excited at this scene. A sadistic smile crept onto his face as he licked his lips. "More... give me more of those painful expressions. Fear and agony... this expression is wonderful."
He raised his hand to increase the pressure, intending to crush her completely.
Suddenly!
Buzz—!
The air crackled with a high-density energy buildup.
Whoosh—!
A beam of pure black light—a Cero—shot towards Midnight from the side. It moved with blinding speed, tearing through the atmosphere with a mournful howl.
Midnight's expression changed slightly, sensing the density of the magic, but his body remained still on the carpet. He didn't dodge.
"Reflector."
When the black light landed on Midnight, the space warped instantly. The beam didn't detonate; it bent. Like light hitting a mirror, it suddenly changed direction, doubling its velocity as it shot back towards its source—directly at Ren.
Boom boom boom boom!
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