"Heave ho!"
Kael stepped forward and put his whole body into it—hurling the entire train engine straight at Erigor.
WHOOOOSH———!!
The engine rocketed forward, tearing through the air like a cannon shot as it thundered toward Erigor at hundreds of kilometers per hour.
Erigor's expression twisted. He thrust out his palm—
BOOOOM———!!
A violent tornado burst out in front of him and slammed into the engine, shaving off just enough speed. Erigor seized that heartbeat and slipped to the side.
WHOOSH———!
The engine skimmed past the top of his head by a hair's breadth. The pressure alone made his heart pound. A direct hit would've crippled him—if it didn't kill him outright.
"Monster!"
Erigor stared at Kael, fear dark in his eyes. To lift an engine and throw it like that… what was he, if not a monster?
"Missed again? You're lucky," Kael said, unimpressed.
That casual tone made Erigor's blood boil. "You damned bastard!! Don't get cocky!! I'm getting serious now!"
Erigor crossed his arms and yelled, "Storm Mail!!"
Violent winds spun around his body at high speed. In an instant, an armor made of storms wrapped around him.
"Yeah," Kael said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Now that actually looks interesting."
"Hmph! Take this!!"
Erigor shot down toward Kael like a spinning drill.
Kael tapped his toes and drifted back.
BOOOOM!!!
The spot where Kael had been standing was drilled into a large hole.
"Hmph! Trying to run? In my career as an assassin, no one who has seen this magic has lived!!"
"Storm Shred!!"
Erigor raised his hand and unleashed a storm of wind blades—faster, sharper, packed tighter than before.
Kael didn't budge. He swung the rail he'd ripped from the track.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!
Every blade was swatted aside by iron.
"Damn it!"
Erigor flung his hand again, sending another barrage.
Kael still looked relaxed—blocking everything with the rail as he kept closing the distance, step by step.
Just as Kael got close—
A fierce burst of wind erupted outward from Erigor's armor, blasting from the inside out.
Kael was caught off guard and shoved back.
"See?! This is the power of Storm Mail! The wind blows from the inside out! You can't get near me!!"
Kael blinked once. "What? I thought it'd be something amazing." His mouth curled. "But this is it?"
That expression hit Erigor right in the pride. "Damn it! That face again! You bastard! If you're asking for death, then I'll show you my strongest magic!"
"Here I come!! The wind magic that tears everything to shreds—Emera Baram!!"
Erigor pressed his index and middle fingers together on both hands. Magic gathered at his fingertips, vibrating with pressure—then he crossed those fingers into a sharp X.
"No matter how strong you are! Once my magic hits you, you'll be torn to pieces!!"
"Die!! You damned monster!!"
Erigor snapped his hands through the final motion.
A high-speed storm mixed with razor wind blades barreled toward Kael, shredding everything in its path.
"Heh!!"
A small, excited smile flickered across Kael's face. He didn't dodge. He spun the rail in his hands.
BOOOOM———!!!
A violent explosion erupted, wiping out everything in the vicinity.
"Hmph! So much for the 'Tyrant'. In the end, you still died at the hands of 'Shinigami'. Don't worry, I'll send the old men to join you soon, using Lullaby."
"Hey—don't count me as a kill just yet."
Kael's voice cut through the smoke.
"What?!!"
Erigor's eyes widened. Through the thinning haze, a figure stood there—same dismissive expression, completely unharmed.
"No! Impossible! No one can take my Emera Baram and be unhurt!! Impossible!!"
Kael sighed. "Looks like that's all you've got." His tone was almost bored. "I'm done playing. Time to end this."
Erigor's face twisted. "Bastard! Don't think you've won just because you survived my attack! You can't even get close to me—"
SHU———!
Kael appeared right in front of him, rail in hand like a baseball bat.
The corner of Kael's mouth curled. "Can't what?"
Erigor's pupils shrank.
Pain detonated in his abdomen. Stomach acid surged up his throat, and his body folded in half, curling up in agony. Tears and spit burst from his face.
BANG———!!
Erigor flew backward at high speed.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
He smashed through train car after train car, finally stopping in a huge crater. His eyes rolled back, and he completely lost consciousness.
"Home run!!"
Kael sounded satisfied.
"Uh... crap. I lost track of time while playing."
He walked over the wreckage, eyes narrowing.
A three-eyed skull flute clattered free from Erigor's cloak and rolled to a stop.
"Hey. Everyone's down," Kael said. "So come out, Lullaby."
He already knew what it was: an Etherious tied to Zeref's cursed creations—an instrument meant to kill with its melody.
"…"
Silence.
Then green smoke seeped from the skull's mouth. It thickened, twisted, and surged upward—until a giant demon loomed over Kael, its body riddled with hollow openings like the flute itself.
Kageyama, barely conscious, went pale. "Wh-what…? I—I didn't know it could take form…!"
The monster's lips peeled back.
"I'm so hungry," it growled. "Let me taste your souls!!"
It opened its massive mouth, about to unleash its curse-song.
SHUNK———!!
A rail shot straight into its mouth and punched out through the back of its head.
"Sorry," Kael said flatly. "Couldn't help it."
He tilted his head, expression sour.
"If you want to sing, do it somewhere else. But crawling out here just to disgust people? That's where I draw the line."