Chapter 201: A Strike of Sheer Will, An Outburst of Emotion
"Let's go!"
At Ultear's command, Mirajane attacked first. She brought her hands together, gathering an immense amount of darkness, and then thrust them forward, unleashing all her remaining magic in a single blast.
"Soul Extinctor!"
A powerful shockwave of darkness tore through the sea of fire, carving a path straight to the Demon Sitri. It slammed into the demon, creating a massive explosion that instantly shrouded the area in smoke and dust. The force of the blast temporarily beat back the surrounding flames.
Ultear seized the opportunity, pouring her own magic into the path Mirajane had created, freezing it solid. She then erected two thick ice walls on either side to hold back the inferno. Ultear's body pulsed with magic; she was clearly straining to keep the ice from melting.
The instant the path was stable, Erza shot forward. Now in her Black-Wing Armor, she gripped her matching black sword with both hands and sprinted toward the demon.
Just then, a gust of wind cleared the smoke, revealing Sitri. It had managed to block its face, but Mirajane's attack had still inflicted numerous injuries, and it was staggering backward.
At that moment, Erza reached it. Focusing all her magic, she swung her sword with every last bit of her strength. A sharp shriek tore through the air as the blade cut a massive, gushing wound across the demon's body—the deepest one yet—diagonally from its left shoulder to its right side.
Blood erupted from the wound, spraying Erza before she could dodge. She landed, and her legs nearly buckled beneath her. Gritting her teeth, she pushed off the ground and began a desperate retreat back down the ice path.
Sitri roared in agony. Ignoring its own injury, it spat a torrent of fire, chasing after the retreating Erza. Several more ice walls instantly shot up from the path, intercepting the flames. The walls and the fire sizzled and hissed, both being destroyed in the process.
Far back, Ultear, having spent the last of her magic, collapsed to the ground. Without her power, the ice path began to melt rapidly, but Erza was already more than halfway back.
Sitri, seeing its fire blocked, raised its hand to attack again. But just then, a powerful beam of light shot from the distance and slammed into it.
BOOM!
A violent explosion sent Sitri stumbling back out of the smoke. The light-based attack had struck the massive gash Erza had just made, tearing it open even wider. Fresh blood poured from the wound, and the demon howled in pain.
They could see its muscles writhing as it tried to heal, but the light magic was actively hindering the regeneration, and the bleeding wouldn't stop.
Sitri's eyes burned with rage. It hated these insects for wounding it so badly. It had never been this injured before. It roared, then slammed its own flaming hand directly onto the gushing wound. A terrible sizzling sound filled the air. It was using its own fire to burn the light magic out and cauterize the wound.
It was ignoring the pain, driven by a single-minded desire to obliterate them. It raised its hand and unleashed another massive wave of fire, aiming for Erza, who was just reaching the end of the melting ice path.
Erza had used everything. She was running on pure willpower. Behind her, the path was gone, and the inferno was closing in. Ahead, Ultear, Mirajane, and Sorano had collapsed in a heap, panting, completely spent.
But Erza wasn't afraid. She knew someone would be there.
Just as the flames were about to engulf her, they stopped.
An endless, gentle light shone down, enveloping Erza and the others. They felt their wounds mending and their strength returning. The raging inferno, touched by the light, was suppressed, then slowly extinguished. The molten ground cooled, hardening back into rock.
The battlefield became preternaturally calm. In the distance, the Demon Sitri stood in a defensive crouch, clearly intimidated by this new power.
Her strength restored, Erza jogged the last few steps and sat down with her friends. All four of them looked up at the back of the man standing in front of them, radiating a brilliant, warm light.
"So cool..." Sorano whispered, her voice full of awe. "And so handsome." Her eyes were shining. This was the person who had saved her. This feeling... it was wonderful. She loved it.
Ultear was also smiling at his back, her eyes shimmering. This was the same person who had rescued her from the Magic Development Bureau, who had cleared up the misunderstanding with her mother, who had brought them both to Fairy Tail, and who had been with her as she grew. He was always there, caring for her. She felt like she couldn't be without him.
Erza's eyes sparkled. She had just seen Sitri's power up close; she knew how terrifying it was to be able to suppress it with magic power alone. A feeling of pure happiness and absolute safety washed over her. This was the man who had protected her village, who had saved her life. He had helped her with everything since she joined the guild, even letting her store entire armories in his house without a single complaint. He had left an indelible mark on her life, one that could never be erased. She didn't know what this feeling was, but she knew she never wanted to be apart from him.
Mirajane just looked at the figure before her, and an unparalleled sense of security filled her heart. From the confusion over her demon arm, to the terror of The Beast King incident, and now this... As long as he was standing there, the problem would be solved. Her heart was at peace.
She didnTo know what this feeling was, either. But she knew he was special to her. Because of what he'd done, and because of the way he made her feel—so safe, so calm, so alive. It always felt like there was no problem he couldn't solve. She knew it was probably just an illusion, but she loved that feeling. After pretending to be strong for so long, maybe this was what she truly needed.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn