Whoosh—!
Evergreen kicked off the ground, wings flaring wide behind her as she shot into the distance like a bullet.
"Damn it! That freak's already on my tail?!"
The moment she confirmed it was Kaien Blaze, she turned and fled without hesitation. If it had been anyone else—even someone like Erza, an S-Class Mage—she would have stood her ground and fought.
But Kaien wasn't just "anyone." Others were human.
Kaien was a monster.
She had watched his fight against Jose, the Phantom Lord Guild Master and one of the Ten Wizard Saints. No matter how arrogant she was, she didn't delude herself into thinking she stood a chance.
So the smartest choice… was to run.
"Kaien… please… save… my sister…"
Elfman, barely conscious and in tears, whispered those words to Kaien.
Kaien gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Mira will be back to normal soon."
Relieved by his answer, Elfman finally passed out.
Kaien turned to the bystanders nearby. "Excuse me, everyone—can I ask for your help? Could you please take Elfman to the hospital and get him treated?"
"Kaien, is something going on with Fairy Tail?"
"Yeah, we saw some members fighting each other all over the city."
"Will the Fantasia Parade still happen?"
Most of the people here were Magnolia locals. Unlike outsiders, they knew Kaien well. They'd seen his many transformations—each one more legendary than the last.
Kaien smiled casually. "Don't worry. It's just a little squabble. Everything will be settled soon. The parade will go on as planned."
"Oh, thank goodness!"
"But man, they're really going at it."
"Sorry about that! I'll give them a good scolding when this is over."
"Alright, everyone—let's lift him together. Let's get Elfman to the hospital!"
"Thank you!" Kaien said—and vanished on the spot.
Meanwhile, Evergreen had already hidden herself in a secluded corner of the city.
"Whew… that freak won't find me now—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Kaien appeared just a few steps ahead.
Her heart nearly jumped out of her throat.
"No way! How did you find me so fast?!"
"I saw you, obviously."
"Saw… me?"
"That's right. Don't think your eyes are the only special ones. Mine have 360-degree long-range vision. I can see behind me, through obstacles, even across great distances."
At the mention of "eyes," Evergreen suddenly remembered her Eye Magic. She snatched off her glasses and stared directly at Kaien.
But his eyes were already covered by a black cloth, and his white hair stood up in sharp spikes—the same look he had when he first appeared in his Gojo form.
"A chance!"
Evergreen flew upward, releasing a massive wave of sparkling Fairy Dust.
"Ha! I don't care how strong you are—without your vision, your combat ability drops drastically! I can win this! I can win!!"
From within the cloud, Kaien's voice echoed.
"Why do you villains always celebrate before the fight's over? It's such a cliché."
"What?! No way!! That was a direct hit—how are you totally fine?! Even Elfman went down from that move!"
Evergreen's eyes widened in disbelief.
She'd been too rushed before, but this time she'd increased the Fairy Dust output specifically to take Kaien down—and he was completely unharmed. That made no sense.
"It's simple. You didn't hit me."
"Impossible! I covered your whole area—there's no way it missed!"
"Well, technically, you hit my Infinity. But there's no point trying to explain spell theory to you."
Evergreen didn't understand what he meant—but she could feel it.
He was toying with her.
"You think you can beat me even with your eyes shut?!"
"Oh—right. I forgot to mention something. My Six Eyes don't require direct line of sight. Whether my eyes are open or covered makes no difference."
"Monster!!"
Evergreen spun around and fled again. If he couldn't see, she might've had a shot—but if even blindfolded he could see? Then there was no winning this.
Fwoosh!
Kaien appeared right in front of her again.
"Teleportation?!!"
It finally clicked for her—why he kept catching up no matter how far she flew.
He could teleport.
"Damn it! Just how many types of magic does this guy have?!"
She spread her arms and unleashed a barrage of needle-shaped explosive blasts.
Kaien didn't move.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
This time she watched carefully. The explosive needles slowed drastically just before reaching him, as though an invisible barrier was dragging them through molasses. Even when they exploded, they failed to hurt him.
It was like there was a wall of nothingness shielding him.
Kaien raised one palm.
A blue energy orb formed in his hand. Without a word, he casually tossed it toward her.
Evergreen barely dodged.
CRACK—CRACK!
The orb struck a nearby wall, devouring it like a swarm of locusts.
Evergreen's eyes bulged. If that hit her… she'd be erased.
Kaien sent the orb flying after her.
She ducked and weaved in terror.
"One not enough? Alright—how about a few more."
He waved his hand, summoning seven more blue orbs. They shot forward, ripping through the battlefield. Anything they touched—wood, stone, even magic—was devoured on contact.
Evergreen fired off more explosions, but they were all consumed.
In seconds, the eight blue orbs had her cornered.
She stood, back to the wall, panic written across her face. They hovered around her like silent reapers, waiting to rip her apart.
Kaien strolled toward her, hands in his pockets.
"Turn everyone back. I won't say it again."
"Hehehe… Don't be so naive. My Petrification Eyes have another feature—remote control. I still have hostages. Mira's one of them, right? Your girlfriend? If you don't want her shattered into dust… get on your knees and beg."
"Is that so?" Kaien replied calmly. "Guess I underestimated you."
He turned around, walking away.
"In that case, I'll honor your decision… by offering your life to the girls you turned into statues."
The eight Blue orbs surged toward her.
Cold sweat burst across Evergreen's skin.
'Wait a minute… this isn't right!'
Shouldn't he be kneeling and begging her to spare the others?
Why wasn't he playing along?!
He was actually going to leave her to die?!
The Orbs closed in. The force of their suction ripped her clothes to shreds. She felt them tugging at her very flesh, ready to tear her limb from limb.
"AAAHHHHHHH!! STOP—STOP!! I SURRENDER!!!"