Chapter 227: Genjutsu
Elfman and Evergreen were dumbfounded when they saw Ren's new form.
Standing before them was a figure exuding a melancholic yet terrifying aura. He wore a long, high-collared black cloak adorned with ominous red clouds.
His hair was black, tied back in a low ponytail, and his eyes... those eyes were a deep, blood-red crimson, containing three swirling tomoe that seemed to peer directly into their souls.
According to Ren, he occasionally summons heroic spirits who have died in other worlds, and then he takes over these spirits to transform and use their abilities.
Since Ren joined Fairy Tail, he has already displayed seven transformation forms, each incredibly powerful.
From the space-distorting sorcerer Gojo Satoru to the quake-inducing Whitebeard, every single one had been a monster capable of shaking the world.
And now, he was actually showing an eighth one.
"Ren, is this your new form?" Evergreen asked, her voice trembling slightly despite her attempt to maintain composure. She adjusted her glasses, trying to read the magic power emanating from him, but it felt... different. Strange.
"That's right," Ren replied, his voice calm and devoid of emotion, matching the stoic expression of the character he was embodying. "Don't worry, the stats for this form aren't particularly high, and the mechanism is average, so you don't need to be concerned."
"Come on! Let me see your strength!" Elfman roared, though sweat trickled down his temple.
Evergreen and Elfman didn't believe Ren at all; none of his transformations were ordinary—they were all monsters. "Average mechanism" coming from Ren was like a dragon saying its breath was "a bit warm."
"Elfman, we have no choice but to attack!" Evergreen shouted, her eyes darting around for a strategy.
Although Evergreen had some psychological trauma regarding Ren, most of it stemmed from the Gojo Satoru transformation form. In that form, the concept of 'Infinity' meant that none of her Moves could even touch Ren; it was a despair-inducing gap in dimensionality. However, as long as it wasn't that specific transformation, she felt that she and Elfman combined still had a chance to fight. This form looked physical. It looked hittable.
"Alright!"
Elfman knew there was no retreat now. The S-Class trial demanded they give everything they had. He clenched his fists, his muscles bulging as magic power flared around him.
"Full Body Take Over: Beast Soul!!"
A massive magic circle appeared beneath Elfman. His body began to expand rapidly, his skin turning dark and rugged. Massive horns erupted from his head, and his face contorted into a feral muzzle. In seconds, he transformed his entire body into the form of a massive Beast with immense physical power.
"Oooooohhhhhhh!!"
Elfman roared, a sound that shook the leaves off the nearby trees, and charged toward Ren. The ground cracked under his heavy footsteps as he closed the distance in an instant.
"Take this! A MAN'S punch!"
The massive beast claws struck out at Ren, carrying enough force to pulverize a boulder.
Whoosh.
Ren didn't block. He didn't panic. He simply... drifted.
Just as the claw was about to make contact, Ren's body blurred. He retreated, continuously dodging Elfman's attacks with movements that looked almost lazy. It wasn't the desperate dodging of a mage trying to survive; it was the fluid grace of a leaf caught in a gale.
Crackle! Crackle!
The surrounding large trees were all easily shattered by Elfman's missed strikes. Wood splintered and flew like shrapnel, but not a single piece touched the black cloak Ren wore. Elfman, transformed into this state, possessed terrifying strength, but hitting smoke with a hammer was an exercise in futility.
"He's too fast! Or rather... he reads my movements before I make them!" Elfman gritted his teeth, frustration mounting. Every time he swung, Ren was already gone.
"Get out of the way! Elfman!!"
Evergreen's voice came from above, sharp and commanding.
Upon hearing this, Elfman immediately backed away, leaping backward with surprising agility for his size.
Evergreen flew in mid-air, her fairy wings buzzing. She looked down at the black-clad figure and smirked. "Ren, with this form, my magic shouldn't be ineffective anymore, right? You don't have that invisible wall around you!"
She spread her fan, gathering golden magic particles.
"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Countless needle-shaped energy bullets shot down toward Ren below. It was a dense barrage, covering every inch of the clearing. It was a carpet bombing designed to leave no room for evasion.
Ren's red eyes shifted upward. His hands moved in a blur, disappearing into his wide sleeves.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The needle-shaped explosive bullets landed on the ground, constantly triggering explosions. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring vision.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!"
Evergreen laughed, feeling incredibly delighted seeing Ren fleeing in such a sorry state. Who was Ren? He was the legend who defeated two Ten Wizard Saints, annihilated the Oración Seis, beat Laxus until he couldn't fight back, and even forced the mighty Gildarts Clive to concede defeat.
And now, he was being chased by her!
"Do you see this, Elfman? We are pushing him back!" Evergreen shouted, her ego inflating with every explosion. If the guild members saw this scene—if Laxus saw this—her status would greatly increase. She would be the Queen of the Fairies!
However, as the dust cleared, Ren was nowhere to be seen in the crater.
"Over there! He's heading for the water!" Elfman pointed.
Soon, Ren ran out of the forest and toward the seaside. The Tenrou Island beach stretched out, the waves crashing against the white sand.
"That's the ocean! This time, you have nowhere to run!" Evergreen shouted, chasing after him in the air. "Water will slow you down!"
But what happened next made their eyes widen in disbelief.
Ren didn't stop at the water's edge. He didn't swim. He didn't summon a boat or ice.
Step. Step. Step.
In the blink of an eye, Ren ran onto the ocean and stood steadily on the surface of the water. The surface rippled slightly beneath his sandals, but he did not sink. It was as if the liquid had become solid ground beneath his feet.
"What?!"
Elfman and Evergreen were both startled.
"He... he's standing on the sea surface?!" Elfman stammered. "Is that Water Magic? Or Gravity Magic?"
"It doesn't matter what trick it is! Just be defeated like this!"
Evergreen continued to fire her Fairy Machine Gun magic at Ren. The golden needles rained down upon the ocean surface.
Ren stood calmly on the rolling waves. His hands came together, fingers intertwining in complex patterns at blinding speed. Serpent. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.
"Water Release: Water Encampment Wall."
Rumble!
The seawater around Ren surged violently. Without a magic circle appearing, the water obeyed his command, spiraling upward to form a 360-degree cylindrical wall of high-pressure water.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
All of Evergreen's magic struck the Water Encampment Wall, detonating harmlessly against the liquid barrier. The water absorbed the impact completely.
"Water? Water Magic?!" Evergreen gasped. "Since when does he use Water Magic without a circle?!"
RUMBLE————!!
At this moment, the seawater surged again. The wall dropped, and from the turbulence, Ren directed his chakra.
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet."
Three high-speed rotating spiral streams of water, compressed like drills, rushed toward Evergreen in the air. They moved with the speed of projectiles, cutting through the wind with a high-pitched whistle.
"Not good!"
Evergreen's wings buzzed frantically as she quickly flew away, rolling in the air to avoid being skewered.
"Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Evergreen detonated the scale powder she had left behind in the air, creating a counter-explosion to destroy the pursuing Water Fang Bullets. Ideally, steam filled the air.
"Don't forget about me! A MAN ATTACKS FROM THE FRONT!" Elfman roared from the shore. He leaped into the air, aiming to smash Ren while he was distracted.
Ren's eyes darted to Elfman. His hands moved again. Rat. Ox. Monkey. Dragon. Boar. Bird.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The ocean behind Ren roared. A massive volume of water rose up, shaping itself into a gigantic Water Dragon with glowing yellow eyes. It roared silently and charged toward Elfman.
Seeing this, Elfman had no time to dodge. The dragon was huge, its jaws wide open.
"Uwooooh!"
Elfman immediately raised his arms in a cross block, bracing his feet against the sand.
Boom———!
The impact was deafening.
"Uwah!"
The Water Dragon's immense mass and kinetic energy landed on Elfman's body, smashing him backward. He skidded across the beach, carving a deep trench in the sand.
"Elfman!" Evergreen cried out.
"I'm fine! I can handle it!!" Elfman gritted his teeth, steam rising from his beast form. "This much water... is nothing for a man!!"
Although the attack was fierce, Elfman had taken over the Beast Soul, whose defensive power and physical resilience were inherently high. He shook off the water, his eyes burning with determination.
Ren watched this from the water's surface. "Is that so? Durability is high... typical of a tank type."
He casually walked back toward the shore. As he stepped onto the sand, his demeanor shifted. The air around him suddenly became dry and hot.
"How about this, then."
Ren took a deep breath, his chest expanding. His hands formed a new seal. Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Ren exhaled.
Whoosh————!
A massive fireball, three or four meters in diameter, erupted from his mouth. It wasn't a magical flame shot from a fist like Natsu's; it was a rolling sphere of annihilation that consumed the oxygen in the air.
"Fire?!"
"It came out of his mouth!!"
Elfman and Evergreen were shocked. They had only ever seen Natsu breathe fire from his mouth as a Dragon Slayer trait. They never expected Ren—who was using a 'Heroic Spirit'—to also spit out fire with such casual proficiency.
The heat was intense, singing the hairs on Elfman's beast form even from a distance.
As the fiercely burning fireball rushed forward, turning the sand to glass beneath it, Elfman immediately dodged away, rolling to the side.
Boom————!!
The fireball impacted the tree line. The flames incinerated all the trees they touched instantly, leaving behind a crater of scorching earth and burning embers.
"He can switch elements that fast?!" Evergreen bit her lip. "Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"
Evergreen attacked Ren again from the flank. This Move was fast and dense, making it difficult for anyone to dodge.
Ren didn't use magic to block. He casually reached into his cloak and withdrew a black, iron dagger—a Kunai.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With minimal movement, Ren deflected the leading energy bullets with the Kunai, then casually threw it.
Whoosh!
The Kunai flew with terrifying precision, aiming not at Evergreen, but cutting a path through her barrage to force her to break formation.
Evergreen's expression changed, and she quickly dodged to the left. "He's aiming for my wings!"
Elfman seized the opportunity while Ren was focused on the air.
"GRAAAH!"
Elfman rushed in front of Ren, his speed boosted by pure adrenaline. He unleashed a flurry of blows, continuously attacking him with his massive fists.
Ren dodged back and forth, weaving through the punches. Left. Right. Duck. But Elfman was relentless. He was trading defense for offense, ignoring the openings Ren made to close the distance.
"Gotcha!"
Elfman anticipated Ren's dodge and lunged, his massive arms wrapping around Ren's waist in a bear hug. He slammed Ren into a tree, pinning him there with brute strength.
"Evergreen, I've got him pinned! Use that Move!!" Elfman shouted, his voice straining against Ren's resistance.
Evergreen hovered in the air, her fan raised. She was stunned for a moment, then her expression changed to horror. "You idiot! What are you saying? You'll get hurt too! That's a bombardment spell!"
"It doesn't matter!" Elfman roared, looking back at her with eyes full of resolve. "This is the only way we can defeat Ren! His speed is too great! If I let go, we lose!"
"But—"
"DO IT! Being a man means making the hard choices!"
"Since you've made up your mind, then so be it!"
Evergreen was not one to dilly-dally. She saw the conviction in his eyes. Since Elfman had made his resolution, she naturally wouldn't hesitate. If they missed this chance, it would be difficult for them to defeat Ren.
Evergreen quickly flew up, spinning gracefully. "Don't blame me if you cry later!"
She scattered a large amount of magical scale powder in the sky. The glittering dust surrounded the area where Elfman and Ren were grappling, sparkling like deadly stars.
Upon seeing this, Ren, trapped in Elfman's grip, punched Elfman in the ribs.
Bang!
The sound was like a hammer hitting a side of beef.
Elfman coughed blood but didn't let go. He took the full force of Ren's punch, then grabbed Ren's wrist, locking him in place. He looked Ren in the eye and grinned, a smile full of blood and triumph.
"Ren, you can't escape this time. This is the power of Fairy Tail's teamwork!"
Evergreen clenched her fist.
"Fairy Bomb: Gremlin!!"
She snapped her fingers, detonating all the scattered scale powder at once.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
The countless scale powders exploded simultaneously, instantly triggering a terrifying chain reaction. The blast engulfed both the Beast Soul and the Akatsuki cloak. A mushroom cloud of smoke and magical energy rose into the air, destroying all the surrounding trees, shattering rocks, and scorching the earth.
"Wuaaaahhhhh!!"
Elfman let out a painful scream as the explosions tore into his back, but he refused to release his grip until the very last second.
After a good while, the explosion slowly subsided. Smoke drifted lazily over the blackened crater.
Evergreen rushed over, landing beside the fallen giant. She helped the heavily injured Elfman up, her hands trembling.
"You idiot! You colossal idiot!" She scolded him, though her voice was thick with emotion. "Why were you so reckless? What if you had been killed? You can't be S-Class if you're dead!"
Elfman groaned, reverting from his Beast Soul form back to his human self, albeit battered and bruised. He managed a weak smile. "I might be an idiot, but this was the only way I could think of to defeat Ren! And look..." He gestured to the unmoving black figure lying in the dust. "We won! We beat Ren!"
Seeing Elfman's pure and hearty smile, despite his injuries, Evergreen's heart rate involuntarily sped up. The way he had trusted her, the way he had sacrificed himself...
Looking at him like this, the guy was quite a man, after all.
"Hmph. Don't get cocky," she muttered, looking away to hide the flush on her cheeks.
Elfman and Evergreen looked toward Ren together, a sense of accomplishment washing over them. They had done the impossible.
Elfman said triumphantly, "Ren, we won. That was a manly battle."
Ren lay on the ground, his cloak torn, covered in wounds. He didn't move.
Wait.
Something was wrong.
Ren's body began to shimmer. He lay there, but his hand was raised. His index and middle fingers were pressed together, pointing at Elfman and Evergreen.
The two flinched, thinking Ren was going to cast another spell. But he didn't fire anything. Instead, the injured Ren simply pointed his finger to the side.
"Over there?" Elfman blinked, confused.
The two looked to the side, following the direction of the finger.
There, standing under the shade of a tree that should have been destroyed by the explosion, stood another Ren.
He was completely unharmed. His cloak was pristine, not a speck of dust on it. His breathing was even. He looked exactly as Ren had when they first saw him at the start of the battle.
"When..." Evergreen whispered, her blood running cold.
The "injured" Ren on the ground suddenly burst into a flock of black crows, cawing loudly as they dispersed into the wind, leaving nothing behind.
Elfman and Evergreen's pupils contracted sharply, and they exclaimed simultaneously, "How is this possible?!"
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