Freed ascended into the air, still shaken, and looked down. The oppressive feeling emanating from the figure enveloped in purplish-black magic made him shiver.
This power...
Is this the true form of the S-Class Mage, the Demon?
Immediately, Freed saw a pair of demonic bat wings suddenly spread from behind Mirajane. She didn't even try to adapt to this power that had been dormant for too long, her body was completely driven by rage.
Boom!
The ground beneath Mirajane's feet exploded, and she transformed into a purplish-black afterimage, soaring straight into the sky with such speed that it created a long wake in the air.
"What?!"
Freed felt an abnormally dangerous aura and could only rely on his combat instincts to forcefully twist his body in the air, narrowly avoiding a vital spot in an extremely disheveled manner.
A claw narrowly grazed his cheek, drawing a string of blood beads, and the chase between them unfolded wildly in the sky.
He pushed his flying magic to its limit, transforming into a streak of light, desperately weaving left and right in the sky, trying to find an opening.
Mirajane was faster than Freed and gave him no chance to react, leaving him struggling to cope.
"Damn it!"
Freed's peripheral vision caught sight of the approaching demonic figure, and an unprecedented chill surged in his heart.
He couldn't dodge anymore!
A demonic claw struck his back, sending his body crashing heavily towards a stone bridge below.
Rumble!
Freed, along with a section of the bridge, was smashed by that claw from mid-air into the river below, stirring up a terrifying water column dozens of meters high.
His bones felt like they were falling apart. He immediately struggled out of the river, using the falling smoke and water vapor as cover to frantically flee along the river surface.
He dared not look back, dared not stop. He flew several hundred meters, landing above another intact bridge, only then daring to turn around, still shaken, to investigate.
However, behind him was empty, only lingering smoke, water mist, and the wreckage of the broken bridge.
Where is she?
An extreme sense of danger instantly struck from behind.
Freed's body instantly stiffened as he sharply turned his head.
Mirajane's figure had silently appeared behind him, and the clear killing intent could be felt in her scarlet eyes.
This is... Satan Soul!
Fried now experienced the terror of a true demon.
"Vanish."
Mira gave him no time to think. She slowly raised her right hand, and a giant purplish-black magic circle formed above her palm.
Darkness Stream!
Dozens of giant claws made of pure dark energy surged out like an overwhelming tide, forming a large net that lunged towards Freed.
Freed was greatly alarmed, dodging clumsily in the air, while also waving his rapier, attempting to write words in front of him. His sword tip had just lifted when a dark claw slammed down with a speed that surpassed his reaction time.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the rapier that had accompanied him for years shattered into countless iron fragments. Immediately after, more claws coiled around him, blocking all his escape routes.
Freed could only clumsily dodge through the gaps in the claws, constantly getting new wounds, but also continuously searching for an opening to escape further away.
But as he looked at Mirajane, who was closing in behind him with only destructive desire in her eyes, he steeled his heart.
If this continues, he's doomed!
He couldn't worry about that anymore!
He suddenly shot upwards, breaking free from the entanglement of the dark claws, and at the same time, extended his index finger, using it to carve words on his chest.
"Using magic to control magic..."
"Dark Ecriture: Darkness!"
This was the most powerful forbidden magic he had mastered.
The moment the incantation was completed, a reddish-black aura erupted from Freed's body, completely enveloping him.
His figure slightly expanded, muscles bulging, skin turning into hard grayish-black keratin, and he transformed into a ferocious demonic form. His magic and physical abilities were greatly enhanced at this moment.
"Roar!"
The transformed Freed let out a non-human roar, swinging his fists infused with dark power, and met Mirajane.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat in the air, the roar of colliding magic incessant, each impact stirring up violent air currents.
But even with the forbidden magic, which gave Freed an astonishing boost in strength and speed, he was still at a disadvantage against the fully unleashed Mirajane
Fists and claws met, and Freed felt an irresistible immense force coming from Mirajane's claws, numbing his arm.
Mirajane's attacks were simple, direct, and brutal, without any superfluous movements. Each strike contained a rage that sought to tear him to shreds.
Bang!
He was caught off guard by Mirajane's whip kick to his waist and abdomen, and he was violently knocked down from mid-air, crashing into a dark underground cave by the riverbank.
"Cough... Cough..."
Freed struggled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of sour liquid.
Mirajane's figure slowly descended, her scarlet pupils glowing in the darkness, walking towards him step by step.
As the shadow of death enveloped his heart, Freed immediately used magic to counterattack.
Darkness Breath!
A powerful dark whirlwind instantly swept through the entire cave, blowing the unprepared Mirajane away.
Now's the time!
Freed didn't hesitate for a moment, clasping his hands in front of his chest to unleash his most powerful magic.
Darkness Flare Bomb!
A highly condensed dark energy sphere whistled out, hitting Mirajane, who had not yet stabilized herself in mid-air.
Boom!
A huge explosion erupted in the air above the riverbank.
Mirajane let out a muffled groan, her body uncontrollably plummeting, splashing into the cold river with a thud.
—
Meanwhile, at another broken bridge.
An icy blue streak of light quietly flashed, and Ryoma silently appeared by the riverbank.
He glanced at Cana, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and Elfman, who was also unconscious not far away, frowning slightly.
He raised his hand, and two gentle silver-white lights fell upon them respectively. Their gruesome injuries began to rapidly heal at a visible speed.
"Ugh..."
Elfman let out a groan and slowly opened his eyes. The sharp pain in his chest and the fear in his mind had vanished, leaving only a lingering weakness in his spirit.
He looked up and saw Ryoma's familiar face.
"Ryoma? You..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the violent explosion in the air above the distant riverbank caught his attention.
He sharply turned his head, just in time to see Mirajane being hit by Freed's attack and falling into the river.
"Sister!"
Elfman's mind buzzed. He instinctively wanted to rush over, but a hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Calm down." Ryoma's voice was calm and unwavering. "Worrying will only cloud your judgment. She doesn't need your concern right now."
Ryoma's words had just fallen when—
Splash!
The river surface below suddenly exploded, and a figure, accompanied by towering waves, rushed back into the sky.
Mirajane hovered in mid-air, the cold river water around her transforming into a boiling vortex. She was unharmed, and the killing intent in her scarlet eyes had not diminished in the slightest.
She slowly raised her hands and brought them together, and another Dark Magic circle unfolded before her.
"Soul... Extinctor!"
A terrifying magic power began to gather, as if all the evil and darkness in the world were summoned by her at this moment, condensing between her palms into a constantly expanding purplish-black energy ball radiating destructive aura.
The terrifying magic fluctuations caused the entire Magnolia Town to pause, and the dazzling purplish-black light almost illuminated the entire city's night sky.
Immediately, an indescribably thick dark shockwave shot out with a roar, and the space along the path of the light beam slightly distorted.
Freed had just rushed out of the cave entrance. His demonic form disintegrated the moment it touched the light beam. He barely had time to let out a few screams before being completely engulfed by the destructive power.
When the light dissipated, Freed, covered in wounds, fell from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground, reverting to his original appearance. He had lost all ability to resist and could only watch as Mirajane descended from the sky and landed in front of him.
Mirajane's scarlet eyes still held killing intent as she raised her sharp demonic claw high, aiming it at Freed's head.
Just as she was about to deliver this final blow, a fleeting image and voice of her younger sister, Lisanna, flashed through the depths of her mind.
"Sister..."
The voice seemed to echo in her ears, forcibly pulling Mirajane's rationality back.
Her descending fist abruptly halted, the destructive power within it stopping less than a centimeter from Freed's glabella.
The scarlet in her eyes receded, and a hot tear rolled down her cheek.
Mirajane's terrifying Satan Soul form slowly dissipated, and she returned to her original appearance, kneeling powerlessly to the side.
Ryoma watched this scene from afar, then looked up at the Thunder Palace in the sky, his brows tightly furrowed.
He keenly noticed a magic power slowly overflowing from Freed's body, being drawn by an invisible force and converging into the Thunder Palace high in the sky.
"This magic actually absorbs the magic power of defeated opponents to accelerate its activation."