Zumm!
The air shrieked as Cian conjured a jagged javelin of emerald energy in his hand.
Luz de la Luna (Light of the Moon).
In the blink of an eye, Cian vanished, reappearing directly in front of Camille. He didn't throw the lance; he swung it like a sword, slamming the concentrated energy construct directly into the assassin's barrier.
BOOM!!!!!!
A terrifying explosion erupted. A dome of green light expanded outward, vaporizing the ground, the trees, and the decorative statues in the garden.
"Guaaaahhhhh!!"
Elfman roared, planting his feet into the earth. He transformed his entire upper body into stone to shield the Mayor, but the shockwave still sent them skidding backward. If not for the Rune Knights' existing defensive barrier around the property, the entire mansion would have been leveled.
Crash!
Camille stumbled out of the smoke, coughing violently. His cloak was shredded, and blood trickled from several new wounds.
He had activated Full Reflection at the moment of impact, but the destructive power was simply too dense. The mechanics of his magic had a fatal flaw: the wider the area he had to defend, the weaker the reflection became against area-of-effect blasts.
"You brat!" Camille roared, staring into the inferno. "Are you crazy?!"
The kid was insane. He had detonated his own weapon at point-blank range knowing Camille would try to reflect it. It was a suicide tactic.
But then, a figure walked calmly out of the dust cloud.
Cian was completely unharmed. His white robes were pristine, and his skin was smooth.
Camille's heart sank. He had forgotten. This monster possessed High-Speed Regeneration and Hierro. A suicide bombing wasn't suicide if you were invincible.
"Monster!!" Camille gritted his teeth, fear finally taking root in his eyes.
"So," Cian said, his voice echoing with a hollow distortion. "That is the limit of your defense."
Seeing the blood on Camille, Cian knew the battle was effectively over. The absolute defense had been breached.
Flap.
Cian's massive black wings beat once, lifting him into the air. He hovered high above the courtyard, silhouetted against the dark clouds like a descending demon god.
Zumm—!
Another Luz de la Luna formed in his hand. He drew his arm back and hurled it.
Camille's face went pale.
"Full Reflection!!!"
He screamed, pouring every ounce of his remaining Magic Power into the space in front of him. He knew he couldn't just bounce this one back; he had to reject the space itself.
But Cian had anticipated this.
Just as the javelin was about to hit the reflection field—
SNAP.
Cian detonated it remotely.
BOOM!!!!!!
The energy lance exploded before it could be reflected, bathing Camille in a chaotic storm of raw magic.
When the smoke cleared, Camille was on his knees. His silver mask had shattered, falling away to reveal the face of a terrified, middle-aged man—completely ordinary, the kind of face you'd forget instantly in a crowd.
"It ends now."
Cian pointed his index finger down at the broken assassin.
Darkness began to gather. Unlike the green Cero from before, this energy was pitch black, outlined in a sinister purple aura. The spiritual pressure was heavy enough to crush a normal human's lungs.
Cero Oscuras (Black Hollow Flash).
In the Bleach lore, only an Espada in their released state could wield this technique. It was an order of magnitude stronger than a standard Cero.
"Cero Oscuras."
VWOOOM—!
A massive column of black energy fired downward, swallowing the moonlight.
"Full... REFLECTION!!"
Camille shrieked, holding up his trembling hands. He tried to turn the tide back.
But the beam was continuous. It wasn't a single projectile; it was a river of destruction. The moment Camille reflected the leading edge, the subsequent wave crushed his defense. His limits were shattered.
CRACK—!
"ARGHHHHHHH!!"
The black light swallowed him whole.
RUMBLE—!
The earth groaned as the beam drilled into the planet. The shockwave finally shattered the Rune Knights' barrier, sending glass-like shards of magic raining down.
Silence returned to the courtyard.
Smoke drifted lazily over a massive crater, dozens of meters wide and deep. In the center, Camille lay sprawled like a broken doll, unconscious and defeated.
Cian landed softly on the edge of the crater.
"Release."
The wings, the robe, and the helmet dissolved into motes of light. Cian returned to his human form, his knees buckling slightly.
"Hah... Hah..."
He panted heavily, sweat soaking his shirt. His Magic Power was scraping the bottom of the barrel. The consumption of Resurrección was far higher than he had calculated. Maintaining that form for just one minute had nearly drained him dry.
"Elfman?!"
Cian scanned the ruins. He didn't see the big man. A spike of anxiety hit him. Did the blast catch him?
CRASH—!
A pile of collapsed masonry near the porch shifted. A large, stone-covered fist punched through the rubble.
"I'm... HERE!!"
Elfman burst out from under the debris, shaking dust from his hair. Beneath him, curled into a ball, was Mayor Cost—shaking like a leaf but completely unharmed.
"Safe!" Elfman gave a thumbs up, though his hand was trembling slightly.
Cian let out a long breath, his legs giving out as he sat down on the grass. "Good."
Elfman looked at the smoking crater, then at Cian. His eyes held a new level of respect—and fear. For that brief minute, the power radiating from the rookie had surpassed even his sister Mirajane.
"Cian! Are you okay?" Elfman called out, rushing over.
"I'm fine," Cian mumbled, his eyelids feeling like lead weights. "Just... empty. Going to sleep now."
The adrenaline crash hit him like a truck. Before Elfman could even reach him, Cian slumped over and was fast asleep.
Minutes later, reinforcements from the Magic Council finally arrived.
The support squad of Rune Knights stared at the devastated landscape in open-mouthed horror. They interviewed the conscious survivors of the first wave, their disbelief growing with every report.
An entire squad of knights had been wiped out instantly. And then, a single Mage from Fairy Tail had annihilated the entire Phantom Bandit Gang solo.
It sounded like a tall tale, but the evidence—the unconscious bandits and the cratered earth—was undeniable. The Knights quickly moved to shackle the surviving criminals, treating the sleeping boy on the grass with wary reverence.
The Next Morning.
Sunlight streamed through the window, warming Cian's face.
He groaned, slowly peeling his eyes open. He stretched, his joints popping satisfyingly. His Magic Power had recovered enough to move, though he was still sore.
He immediately mentally summoned the System Panel.
[Ding! S-Class Mission: Eliminate the Phantom Bandit Gang - COMPLETED!] [Reward: Ten-Fold Summon (10-Pull)!]
Yes!
Risk and reward were indeed proportional.
If he had stuck to safe A-Rank quests, he would have needed to complete ten of them to get this reward. Factoring in travel time and recovery, that would have taken two or three months of grinding.
Instead, one night of terror had secured the bag.
He looked at the glowing [Summon] button. His finger twitched. The urge to pull immediately was overwhelming. It was the gambler's itch.
No, he told himself firmly, pulling his hand back. Discipline.
He needed to wait until he was back at the Guild. He needed Mira's "Goddess Blessing" before he pulled.
Any gamer knew that gacha rates were mystical bullshit. To pull an SSR (Gold), you needed the right time, the right place, and the right ritual.
It wasn't superstition. It was Quantum Mechanics. Probably.
He looked around the room. Elfman was sprawled on a small sofa nearby, snoring loudly, one leg hanging off the armrest.
Cian walked over and shook him. "Hey, big guy. Wake up. The sun's burning your butt."
"Huh?!" Elfman snorted, jerking awake. He rubbed his eyes and focused on Cian. "Cian! You're awake! You okay?"
"Never better. Just needed a recharge. Where's the client? Is he alive?"
"Yeah, he's in the guest room next door. Rune Knights are guarding him."
"Great."
Cian grinned, the thought of the monetary reward finally hitting him. 7,000,000 Jewels.
"Let's go," Cian said, heading for the door. "Job's done. It's time to get paid."