Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Irene finally arrived at the Alvarez Empire on the Western Continent.
This was a highly prosperous empire, a super magic military empire composed of over seven hundred guilds, ruled by Emperor Spriggan—who was none other than Zeref Dragneel.
Under his command were the Spriggan 12; each of these twelve Mages possessed the power to destroy a nation single-handedly.
The Spriggan 12 are as follows:
Wizard King August
Chine, The Sword of Ultimate Dao
Invel Yura, the Winter General
Dimaria Yesta, the Valkyrie
Ajeel Raml, the Desert King
Bloodman, the Grim Reaper
Jacob Lessio, the Assassin
Wall Efd, the Adjudicator
Larcade Dragneel
Neinhart
Brandish μ
Finally, there was God Serena, formerly of the Four Gods of Ishgar; he had recently defected to become one of the Spriggan 12, with his strength ranking in the middle tier.
The power of the Spriggan 12 surpassed that of Ishgar's Ten Wizard Saints, and the Alvarez Empire's military might was stronger than all the kingdoms of Ishgar combined. If the Magic Council did not possess face and Magic Particles, they would have no way to compete.
Irene walked through the bustling streets of the royal capital, watching the crowds pass by. The calls of street vendors rose and fell, and a dazzling array of goods filled the stalls. Tall buildings lined both sides of the street, exuding the distinct style of the Western Continent.
She wore a loose black Mage robe, yet her graceful figure and curvaceous silhouette remained unmistakable. If anything, the robe made her even more alluring, prompting many overconfident young men to approach her.
"So, my charm is still quite potent..."
Irene felt a bit smug as she strode along on her long legs in high heels, appearing even taller and more elegant.
A faint, barely perceptible curve touched the corners of her mouth. However, as more people approached her, her aura turned as cold as the ice of a deep pool, signaling that no one should come near.
Suddenly, a man in blue clothes approached, shouting "Pass! Pass!" with a wretched and excited expression.
Such a perfect woman was simply unheard of.
"Where did this clown come from..."
Irene narrowed her eyes. This man's expression made her very uncomfortable, as if she were some kind of collectible.
The man made a comical gesture and introduced himself with a laugh, "I am Marin, a subordinate of Lady Brandish, one of the Spriggan 12. You may call me Lord Marin."
He reached out and pointed arrogantly at Irene. "Come, join Lady Brandish's command and become my companion!"
"I decline!"
Irene waved her hand, uninterested in dealing with the man, and prepared to walk away.
However, the wretched man was relentless. He sneered and said, "Since you don't know what's good for you, then become Lord Marin's collection."
With that, he snapped his fingers, and an invisible Space Magic enveloped Irene, attempting to teleport her away.
"Space Magic!"
A trace of gloom appeared on Irene's face. Magic power surged, dispelling the Space Magic. She stepped toward the surprised Marin, her voice icy, "Little thing, that was a nice snap."
As her voice fell, a terrifying Gravity descended from the sky, instantly pinning Marin to the ground. His arms were crushed into mincemeat.
Irene looked down at Marin, stepping on his head with her high heel and slowly applying pressure. "Who gave you the courage? Your Lady Brandish?"
Seeing this, the surrounding people fled in terror. In the blink of an eye, the bustling street was deserted.
They never dreamed this beautiful woman would dare to attack a high-ranking official of the kingdom, or that she would cripple Lord Marin's arms without a moment's hesitation. Was she intending to make an enemy of the imperial army?
Marin knew he had provoked someone he shouldn't have. In his eyes, this scarlet-haired woman seemed to have transformed into a demon, her terrifying aura blotting out the sky.
Feeling the intense pain in his arms, he couldn't help but howl, "Stop! Who exactly are you? I am..."
Before he could finish, his head was pressed deep into the dirt, as if it would be crushed in the next moment.
"I don't need to know who you are!"
A cold smile appeared on Irene's lips. She kicked Marin away, sending him rolling across the ground. Her voice was full of dominance, "Call out your Lady Brandish, or call out your Emperor Zeref. Call everyone you think can save you!"
"I'll give you ten minutes. I'll be waiting for you right here!"
"Don't think about running away. I've attached Explosion to your body. If you aren't back in ten minutes, you'll be blown to pieces."
A mere subordinate of the Spriggan 12 dared to order her around; he was simply seeking death.
Marin's expression was one of extreme rage. Though he didn't know this woman's origin, since she had crippled him, she had to pay with her life.
"Just you wait!"
After feeling the violent power surging within him, he gave her a venomous look, spat out a threat, and used Space Magic to vanish instantly.
Irene gave a tut. She really wanted to see what kind of help that fellow could bring. She walked over to a nearby dessert shop, picked up some sweets and juice, and began eating and drinking.
Exactly ten minutes later, Marin returned with a girl who had green hair and straight bangs. She was tall and dressed very sexily, her upright breasts barely covered, and she had the Alvarez Empire's emblem on her leg.
"This magic power is at the level of the Ten Wizard Saints."
Irene came out with the packaged desserts. Looking at this girl, who was about the same age as Lucy, she was slightly surprised. Her talent was indeed extraordinary, but... could this level really be considered a nation-destroying member of the Spriggan 12?
Was that a bit of an exaggeration?
"So you're the little girl called Brandish..."
Just as Irene was about to say something, the green-haired girl approached, drooling at the sight of the desserts in her hand.
She frowned slightly. "What are you doing?"
Why did this green-haired girl seem a bit dazed?
Brandish's face was full of longing as she asked cautiously, "Can I have some?"
Irene pushed her small head away and refused without hesitation, "No! This is mine!"
She felt these desserts were tastier than those in Magnolia Town and planned to pack some to take back for her daughter to try.
Marin said hurriedly, "Lady Brandish, she's the one who crippled my arms. You must avenge me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the magic within him surged, and he instantly exploded into a flash of fire, dying on the spot.
Brandish's expression changed. She looked at Irene with cold eyes. "What are you doing?"
Although she didn't like Marin much, he was still a member of her command. She couldn't just stand by while someone was killed right in front of her.
Irene felt that this green-haired girl gave off a sense of déjà vu, like Lucy. Her killing intent faded slightly as she said calmly, "He wanted to treat me as a collectible. Letting him die so easily was actually doing him a favor."
She had let Marin find his backing earlier, but that didn't mean he would live once he found them. A disgusting fellow like him should have died eight hundred times over.
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