Chapter 34: The Magic Dragon Appears
The battlefield was a cacophony of roars and steel, but all eyes were momentarily drawn to the clash between the winged demon and the colossal beast.
The Mammoth Elephant King was renowned for its immense, overwhelming strength. Its trunk, thicker than a man's torso, could shatter steel plates and pulverize stone. Yet, Ren, in his Ulquiorra form, had just withstood a direct, devastating blow with nothing but his own body.
Clang—!
The sound was less like flesh hitting flesh and more like two siege engines colliding. Ren was hurled backward, his feet carving two deep trenches in the earth, but he remained standing. His pale, hollow-eyed expression didn't even flicker.
A ripple of disbelief passed through the human defenders. "Is that guy's body made of Hierro?" Allen muttered, his eyes wide.
The Mammoth Elephant King bellowed in rage. Its small, bloodshot eyes widened, infuriated that this tiny creature had dared to block it. It raised its massive right forefoot, a pillar of muscle and bone, and stomped heavily on the ground.
Boom—!!!!!!
A terrifying tremor ripped through the earth, far more violent than a simple stomp. The ground itself cracked and splintered, sending a shockwave racing outwards.
"Ugh, ah ah ah!!"
Soldiers screamed as they were thrown from their feet. Even those on the city wall stumbled, grabbing the ramparts for balance. The entire fortification groaned under the seismic shock.
But Ren was no longer on the ground. His black, bat-like wings beat once, launching him effortlessly into the air, high above the chaos. He hovered, looking down at the enraged beast with cold indifference.
He slowly raised his right hand, pointing a single index finger at the Mammoth Elephant King below.
A pinprick of black, oppressive energy began to gather at his fingertip. It didn't glow; it seemed to absorb the light around it. A high-pitched whine, like the sound of tearing reality, filled the air, and a spiritual pressure so heavy descended that it made the soldiers below want to retch.
The small black sphere compressed, swirling with volatile green-black energy.
"Cero Oscuras."
[Akarin's Note: Cero Oscuras (Spanish for "Dark Zero," Japanese for "Black Hollow Flash") is an immensely powerful Cero used by Espada in their released forms. It's a signature move of Ulquiorra Cifer from the Bleach series, the form Ren is currently using via his Take Over magic.]
Buzz~~~~! Whoosh!!!!
A torrent of pure, destructive black energy erupted from his finger. It was not a beam of light but a wide, chaotic blast of tangible darkness that tore through the air, leaving a trail of distorted space in its wake.
The Mammoth Elephant King's massive, ten-meter-tall body gave it no chance to dodge. It could only rear back, raising its trunk to shield itself as the black void enveloped it.
"Roooooar—!!!"
The beast's cry of terror was abruptly cut short.
Boom—!!!!
The Cero Oscuras struck, and the world dissolved into black light. A hemispherical explosion expanded outwards, obliterating everything in its path. The ground was vaporized, and a scorching shockwave blasted dust, rock, and debris hundreds of meters in every direction.
When the blinding light finally faded, a dreadful silence fell over that section of the battlefield.
A gigantic, smoking crater, dozens of meters wide, scarred the earth. At its very center lay the charred, broken form of the Mammoth Elephant King, unmoving and unconscious, if not dead.
For a second, the battle stopped. Then, the human side erupted.
"That's great!!"
"Mr. Ren is amazing!!"
"He... he did it! He defeated five 9-Star Demonic Beasts all by himself! He's too strong!!"
All the soldiers and swordsmen roared, their morale skyrocketing. The five most terrifying monsters, the ones that had seemed unstoppable, had been personally dispatched by this one man in just a few short minutes. Without their leaders, the pressure on the human front line would decrease massively.
"So strong..." Allen stared, his knuckles white where he gripped his sword. He was still struggling, bleeding, and exhausted from fighting just one 9-Star beast. This man, Ren, had taken down five as if it were a simple chore.
He had always believed himself to be a genius, one of the top prodigies of the kingdom. But today, he realized he was just a frog in a well. First, the mysterious swordsman Yoriichi Tsugikuni in the arena, and now this mage, Ren. The world was suddenly full of monsters, and not all ofthem were on the demonic beast side.
"What's going on today?" Clay grumbled from nearby, wiping blood from his chin. "There are too many monsters!" He was deeply frustrated. His only rival had ever been Arthur, but these two new arrivals had completely overshadowed him.
Arthur, for his part, was equally shocked, but his mind was analytical. The opponent's strength was staggering. "To defeat five 9-Star foes with such speed... that's power comparable to one of the Ten Wizard Saints." And most importantly, he noted, the man was impossibly young.
"Is this Ren's true strength?" Erza watched from her own fight, her breath catching. She finally, truly understood why Makarov had allowed him to take S-Class Quests. With this level of destructive power, S-Class Quests weren't just possible; they were a natural fit.
A flicker of light, and Ren's black wings and hollow mask dissolved. The overwhelming spiritual pressure vanished. He landed heavily on the city wall, stumbling as his feet touched the stone, and immediately leaned against the rampart, panting heavily. His face was pale, and sweat streamed down his temples.
Whoosh!
"Mr. Ren, are you alright?" The King rushed over, his royal dignity forgotten in his concern.
Ren waved a shaky hand, his voice strained. "I'm fine... just... out of gas. That form's magic power consumption was a bit too great. I probably won't be able to help with the rest of the battle."
"Don't say that, Mr. Ren!" the King said sincerely, placing a grateful hand on his shoulder. "You have already made the single greatest contribution to this battle. You saved this city. Please, leave the rest to us!"
With the five 9-Star commanders slain by Ren, the tide of the battle turned instantly. The morale of the human side was greatly boosted. Inspired by Ren's overwhelming victory, the human swordsmen fought with increasing courage, their shouts turning from fearful cries to furious battle roars.
Conversely, the morale of the demonic beast side plummeted. Under the relentless suppression of the wall's artillery fire and now leaderless, the beasts began to show hesitation, their attacks growing frantic and disorganized.
This was the opening the other champions needed.
"Judgment of Light!!" Arthur raised his blade, which ignited with a blinding, golden-holy light. He faced the Kui Lion, a massive beast with a hide like blackened steel scales. Arthur leaped, cleaving downward in a brilliant arc. The holy energy struck the beast, vaporizing its scales and sending it crashing to the ground, critically wounded and bellowing in agony.
Elsewhere, Clay found his own opportunity. The Hydra he faced was a writhing mass of necks, spitting venom and snapping with regenerating heads. He had been dodging for minutes, waiting.
He took a sharp, deep breath. "Thunderclap and Flash!"
[Akarin's Note: Thunderclap and Flash (Rai no Kokyū, Ichi no Kata: Hekireki Issen) is the primary technique of Zenitsu Agatsuma from the Demon Slayer series. It seems Clay is also a crossover character user, or at least uses this technique.]
In a zip of golden lightning, Clay vanished. The only thing visible was the electric-yellow trail of his strike, arcing impossible between the Hydra's remaining necks.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
In the next instant, he was standing behind the beast, sheathing his sword. All the Hydra's heads tumbled to the ground simultaneously, their eyes still wide in confusion.
Erza's battle with the swift Silver Moon Wolf also reached its climax. The wolf was a blur of silver fur and claws made of solidified moonlight, and it was pushing her back.
"This ends now!" Erza roared. "Requip!"
In a flash of blue light, her Heart Kreuz Armor was gone, replaced by the menacing, black, spiked Purgatory Armor. The sheer aura of the armor made the wolf skid to a halt, sensing mortal danger.
Wielding the massive, serrated greatsword that came with the armor, Erza charged. "Purgatory Shatter!!"
She brought the colossal blade down with devastating force. The Silver Moon Wolf tried to parry with its claws, but the greatsword shattered them like glass and slammed into its body.
"Ow-woo!!!!"
The Silver Moon Wolf let out a painful, dying shriek as it was sent flying, its body broken. It collapsed in a heap and moved no more.
Only one 9-Star beast remained: the Unicorn Blood Ape, which was still locked in a desperate struggle with Allen. Seeing that all its powerful allies had been defeated in moments, the ape finally lost its will to fight. It roared in pure panic, swatted Allen away with one last furious blow, and turned, crashing through the forest and fleeing for its life.
The other demonic beasts, seeing their last leader abandon them, broke ranks. The rout was absolute. They dared not continue, scattering in all directions, desperate to escape the field of slaughter.
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh!!!!"
The entire city wall erupted in a deafening cheer. The soldiers, knights, and swordsmen raised their weapons, screaming in victorious relief.
"That's great!!!"
"We won!!!"
"We actually won!"
A tide of 100,000 demonic beasts... that number was terrifying. The 9-Star commanders were more than enough to slaughter a city and destroy a nation. If Ren hadn't appeared and miraculously dealt with the five strongest, this country might have been destroyed today. To everyone present, Ren was the hero who had saved them all.
Leaning against the wall, Ren managed a weak smile. His bonus definitely seemed to be secured.
Suddenly!!
A dark, spherical object flew out of the forest, trailing an arc of blood.
THUD!
The object crashed heavily into the middle of the cheering crowd, sending soldiers scattering in sudden, new-found terror. The cheers died instantly, replaced by a cold, shocked silence.
Everyone stared at what had landed.
"Unicorn... Blood Ape!!!"
This object was precisely the head of the 9-Star Demonic Beast, the Unicorn Blood Ape, which had just fled. Its eyes were frozen wide in the same terror it had shown moments before its escape.
"W-what's going on?!"
"Didn't that guy run away? Who... who killed it?!"
"That's a 9-Star Demonic Beast!"
Just as everyone was wondering what was happening, a slow, mocking applause rang out from the edge of the forest.
Clap... clap... clap...
"Not bad! Not bad at all! You've truly given me a good show! It's really just too interesting!"
Along with this voice, a young man strolled out of the Demon Beast Great Forest. He moved with a casual, arrogant grace, as if he were walking in his own garden.
This man had long, vibrant purple hair, wore ornate purple clothes, and his skin was a slightly dark, ashen tone. He appeared to be around 27 or 28 years old, and a cold, amused smirk was fixed on his face.
"Who are you?" Arthur stepped forward, his hand tightening on his sword. "Did you kill the Unicorn Blood Ape?" Although the man had killed their enemy, his voice and his entire demeanor made everyone's skin crawl.
The young man sneered, his gaze sweeping over Arthur with utter contempt. "Human? Please. I am not a low-level creature like a human. Don't compare me to your primitive species."
He gestured dismissively at the severed head. "As for that little monkey, he disobeyed my orders and tried to flee. He naturally had to be executed."
Erza's eyes narrowed, catching his words. "Orders? Do you mean... these demonic beasts attacking the city... were all at your command?"
The young man's smirk widened, and he raised a playful finger. "Bingo! Congratulations! You got it right!"
"Why are you doing this?" Erza demanded, her voice cold.
"Why?" The man tapped his chin. "That's a simple question. Of course, it's for revenge!"
"Revenge?"
"Yes!" The amusement in his voice vanished, replaced by a sudden, ancient, and chilling hatred. "To repay a certain fellow who sealed me for 400 years."
The King, who had been listening with a puzzled expression, froze. It was normal for him, as a king, to have grudges, but he had no memory of this person. But upon hearing the words "sealed for 400 years," a dreadful, forgotten legend slammed into his mind.
The King's face turned white with absolute terror. He stumbled backward, his voice a choked whisper. "400 years... No, it... it can't be..."
He then shouted, his voice cracking with panic:
"Be careful!! Everyone, that's the Magic Dragon, Alazam!!!"
[Akarin's Note: Magic Dragon Alazam appears to be a non-canon (fanfiction original) character. His title as a "Magic Dragon" and his 400-year-old grudge place him in a similar category to Acnologia, though his origins are clearly different.]
[Akarin Note:
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