At Oshibana Station, under the massive dome, the sounds of a bustling crowd echoed.
Travelers moved to and fro, vendors hawked their wares, and magic trains spewed steam, presenting a scene of intense activity.
In the shadows of a station corner, Erza's team lay in wait, the atmosphere tense.
"Happy! Position!" Erza barked, her crimson hair tied up and her blue trench coat looking sharp.
"Aye! Erigor is... at the top of the clock tower! His magic is gathering!" Happy reported back, flying swiftly, his small face filled with tension.
"The clock tower..." Lucy looked up at the towering structure piercing the station's dome.
"What is he trying to do?!" Natsu clenched his fists.
"That cursed magic flute in his hand..." Gray's eyes were cold.
Boom—!!!
At the top of the clock tower! Terrifying magic erupted! A deep green! It spread instantly like an overturned giant bowl, engulfing the entire station dome!
"Poison Mist Barrier!" Erza roared! "Eisenwald... wants to trap and kill everyone!"
The deep green poison mist swirled, carrying a pungent odor. It sizzled, and corrosive white smoke rose!
The crowd screamed in terror, shoving, and falling.
Despair spread!
"Help!"
"My eyes!"
"My child! Where is my child?!"
"Move!" Erza drew her sword! "Natsu! Gray! Clear a safe zone! Protect the crowd! Lucy! Spirit preparations! Happy! Continue monitoring Erigor! Christian!" She looked at the floating blue Slime.
"Can that poison mist... be consumed?"
Christian's core glowed intensely blue! Omni-Perception activated at full power! Scanning the poison mist!
"Analysis: Compound neurotoxin... highly corrosive... mixed with shadow magic... stable structure... concentration... lethal. Threat... extremely high."
He paused for half a second, his gelatinous body rippling.
"Attempting... to establish... a localized barrier. Range... limited. Requires... precise control."
"Good!" Erza said without hesitation.
"Centered on you! Expand the barrier! Save as many as you can!"
"Understood." Christian's core locked onto the most densely packed area of the central hall.
Predator! Maximum power! Activate!
Buzz—!!!
The deep blue gelatinous body instantly expanded, transforming into a massive arc-shaped water curtain! It shot upwards, standing between the surging poison mist and the panicked crowd!
Sizzle—!!!
The poison mist violently reacted upon hitting the blue water curtain. White smoke billowed, and the sound of corrosion was piercing.
The water curtain rippled wildly, its surface pockmarked, but it stubbornly held, unpierced!
[Alert! Contact with high-concentration compound toxins... analysis in progress... erosion intensifying! Magic consumption... skyrocketing!]
[Alert! Absorbed partial toxins... gained 'Poison Resistance (Weak)'... 'Corrosion Resistance (Weak)'... Barrier sustained... countdown: 120 seconds!]
"A barrier! It's a magic barrier!"
"We're saved! Come quickly!"
The crowd saw hope! They frantically surged behind the blue water curtain!
"Range... can only... cover one-third... of the hall." Christian's voice had an electronic static-like ripple. "Toxins... continuously eroding... barrier... cannot last."
"Lucy!" Erza shouted urgently.
Lucy saw the pond next to the station.
"Perfect! Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!" Lucy raised her golden key high! Infusing it with magic!
Splash—!!!
"What, you dare make me come out of a pond! Lucy!"
"Sorry, sorry, there isn't much water around here, so let's make do for now."
"The poison gas here is too severe; you need to make it rain to dissolve it."
"I'll let you off this time!" Aquarius glared at Lucy.
A massive gush of water erupted from the pond!
A violent pillar of water struck the dome, transforming into a torrential downpour that enveloped the areas not covered by the barrier.
The heavy rain washed away the poison mist, diluting it, with continuous sizzling sounds.
"Ahhh! Water! It's clean water!" The people not covered by the barrier cried out in joyful surprise.
"Well done, Lucy!"
Gray placed both hands on the ground! "Ice Make: Ice Barrier!"
Cold Air/Chilling Aura erupted! Several ice barriers rose from the ground, creating more safe zones and blocking the residual poison mist.
"Fire Dragon's... Roar!" Natsu took a deep breath, and a fiery breath swept across, clearing low-altitude poison mist and opening a path.
Erza's figure was like lightning! "Requip: Flight Armor!" A golden flash! Huge wings unfolded behind her! She shot straight for the clock tower!
"Erigor! Your schemes end here!"
At the top of the clock tower. Erigor sneered. "fairy queen? Too late! lullaby... has already begun its prelude!" He raised the skull magic flute and placed it to his lips!
Whoosh—!!!
Eerie! Piercing! A flute sound that stabbed directly into the soul! It wasn't aimed at the physical body! But rather... awakening the deepest despair within the heart!
Inside the station, the eyes of the people not protected in time instantly dimmed, their movements stiff, as if their souls had been extracted, and they slowly collapsed.
"Mental... curse attack!" Christian's barrier rippled violently! "Cannot... physically block! Targets... consciousness!"
Lucy's face turned pale! She felt dizzy and disoriented! "So... uncomfortable..."
"Aye!" Happy clutched his head in pain.
Even Natsu and Gray paused their movements! Their flames and ice dimmed!
"Celestial Spirit... Aquarius! Shockwave! Interrupt him!" Lucy gritted her teeth and ordered.
"So annoying! Little Dried Fish!" Aquarius roared! A massive stream of water transformed into a high-pressure water cannon! It blasted towards the clock tower!
Erigor's figure flickered, as if merging with the wind! He easily dodged! "It's useless! In the face of the 'Death Storm'... struggle on!"
Whoosh—!!!
The second flute sound! Even more shrill! The feeling of despair doubled! More people collapsed! Even the ice walls showed cracks!
"Must... interrupt the flute sound!" Christian's core operated rapidly!
"Option: One, physically destroy the magic flute... Risk: Erigor is extremely fast. Two, consume... the flute's magic... range too wide... success rate... unknown."
"Leave it to me!" Erza's voice descended from above! She had already broken through the poison mist! "Requip: Adamantine Armor!" A golden flash again! Heavy golden armor covered her entire body! Resisting the erosion of the residual poison mist! Her greatsword cleaved towards Erigor!
Clang!!!
Erigor swung his scythe staff to parry, and wind blades clashed with sword energy.
"Your opponent is me, Erza!" Erigor cackled. The magic flute was raised again.
Whoosh—!!!
The third flute sound! Like a death knell! The station lights flickered, and despair felt tangible; even the steel groaned!
"Lucy! Chris! Hold on!" Natsu and Gray roared from below! Desperately clearing the poison mist and saving people!
Christian's blue barrier flickered violently! It had shrunk a circle! The dual impact of toxins and mental curses was overloading his core's processing!
[Warning! Mental interference... affecting core logic... barrier stability... decreased by 30%!]
[Toxin analysis... progress: 45%... resistance generating...]
"Cannot... fall!" Christian's core erupted with strong will, and the devouring force field forcibly expanded, protecting more of the slumped crowd.
Clock tower top. Erza and Erigor were locked in fierce combat! The Adamantine Armor withstood the wind blades, but the threat of the magic flute still remained.
"Lord Erigor! We're here to help you!" Several Eisenwald executives broke through Natsu and Gray's blockade! Rushing towards the clock tower!
"Annoying!" Erza's greatsword swept horizontally but was blocked by Erigor's wind wall.
An opportunity! A cruel glint flashed in Erigor's eyes! The magic flute was brought to his lips again! His target... directly the struggling blue barrier and Lucy below!
"First, eliminate that troublesome Slime, Death Storm — Despair's Finale."
Whoosh—!!!
An unprecedentedly terrifying flute sound erupted! It condensed into a visible, grey-black sound wave that twisted the air, like a roaring vengeful spirit, rushing directly towards Chris and Lucy.
Death Storm! Descended!