Chapter 244: Fairy Tail VS Grimoire Heart
Boom—————!!
"Waaahhhhhh!!"
Master Hades let out a painful, gut-wrenching shriek that echoed across Tenrou Island. The irregular, chaotic fluctuations of the Rasengan continuously generated terrifying impacts, grinding into his chest like a drill made of pure energy. The golden chakra flared one last time, illuminating the darkened sky, before detonating with cataclysmic force.
The shockwave flattened the surrounding forest, turning ancient trees into splinters.
After a short while, the dust settled. A large, smoking pit appeared beneath Ren's feet. At the bottom of this crater lay Hades, the invincible master of Grimoire Heart. His signature eyepatch was torn, his clothes were in tatters, and his eyes were rolled back in his head. He was covered in wounds, smoke rising from his skin, completely unconscious.
The battlefield fell into a stunned silence.
"Ho-how is this possible?!"
"Master Hades... the man who mastered the abyss... actually..."
"He was defeated!"
The members of Grimoire Heart couldn't believe what they were seeing. Their knees shook. They were all in a panic, their morale shattering like glass. They had originally thought this invasion was a guaranteed victory. They had the strongest Dark Guild in the Balam Alliance, two Vice-Masters, and one Master who rivaled the gods—all three of whom were Ten Wizard Saints-level experts.
And yet, all three lay defeated at the feet of a single young man.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the golden light surrounding Ren flickered and died.
Ren's Kurama Mode deactivated, the golden chakra cloak dissipating into the air. Following that, his Fourth Hokage transformation unraveled, his blonde hair turning back to black, the white haori vanishing.
Ren swayed on his feet, his face pale as a sheet. His vision blurred, and his legs gave out.
Thud.
He slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, sweat soaking his clothes.
"Ren!!"
The Fairy Tail members' expressions changed drastically when they saw Ren collapse. As guildmates, they knew the truth: Ren's monstrously powerful battle strength was achieved by pushing his magic power to its absolute limit. He was running on fumes.
The Grimoire Heart members also witnessed this scene. Their shock turned into predatory opportunism.
A chance!
That monster no longer had any magic power. The golden demon was gone, replaced by an exhausted human boy. As long as that monster was gone, they still had a chance to win. Their combat strength was still intact, and they outnumbered the exhausted Fairy Tail members significantly.
"Attack!!"
Ultear Milkovich, the time mage, gave the order with cold precision. Her eyes narrowed. With the Master and Vice-Masters defeated, she, as the leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, held the highest status in the guild. She had to salvage this situation.
"Kill them!!"
"Kill Ren first!!"
"Finish off Fairy Tail!!"
The roar of the Dark Guild echoed through the forest. Many Grimoire Heart members rushed forward, weapons drawn, magic charging. A large group headed straight for the prone figure of Ren. While Ren might have been a terrifying monster moments ago, now he couldn't even stand. If they killed him, the merit and glory would be immense.
"Protect Ren! Don't let them harm Ren!"
Makarov roared, his voice booming like thunder.
Actually, even before Makarov gave the order, the Fairy Tail Guild members had already charged forward, their bodies moving on instinct to protect their comrade.
"Aye!!"
Happy was the first to react, wings spreading as he flew towards Ren at full speed, intending to grab him and fly him to safety.
"Don't even think about saving him, cat!"
Ultear flicked her wrist. A crystal ball materialized and shot forward like a bullet.
Smack!
"Oof!"
The crystal ball struck Happy squarely in the stomach. The blue cat cried out in pain and was sent flying backward, tumbling into the bushes.
"Happy!!"
Natsu Dragneel, seeing his partner attacked, immediately became enraged. Flames ignited around his fists.
"You bastard, how dare you hurt Happy!"
With a stomp of his feet that cracked the ground, Natsu charged towards Ultear like a blazing rocket.
However, before Natsu could reach Ultear, a tall figure in a suit intercepted him. The goat-headed monster, Capricorn, moved with blinding speed and delivered a heavy kick.
"Your opponent is me."
Natsu crossed his arms to block but was skidded back.
"Future Flash!"
Ultear raised her orb. She displayed the future of countless crystal balls, multiplying them through the arc of time. Hundreds of crystal balls appeared out of thin air, hovering menacingly before raining down like a meteor shower, blocking the path of the Fairy Tail members trying to reach Ren.
"Ignore the others! Kill Ren first!" Ultear commanded.
Ren's strength was too terrifying. If they allowed him to recover even a fraction of his magic power, they would be doomed. The best way was to kill him while he was vulnerable. Every extra second meant more danger for them.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
Erza Scarlet's body shone with light. Instantly, she was clad in silver armor with four large wings made of blades.
"Heaven's Wheel: Blumenblatt!"
Erza quickly requipped, summoning countless swords that floated around her in a ring. With a wave of her hand, a barrage of swords rushed towards the incoming crystal balls.
Crack crack!!
Steel met crystal. The air was filled with the sound of shattering glass as Erza's precision strikes destroyed the barrage.
Although the crystal balls were destroyed by Erza, the attack had served its purpose: it delayed the Fairy Tail members for a precious few seconds.
All the Grimoire Heart Guild members took this opportunity to swarm forward, blocking the Fairy Tail Guild members from reaching Ren.
"Get out of my way!!"
Makarov's body grew enormous, expanding into his Titan form. He punched towards the cluster of Grimoire Heart members.
Boom————!
"Waaahhhhhh!"
Dozens of dark mages were sent flying by the giant fist. Makarov panted heavily. Using Fairy Law required time to gather magic power, and he had already attempted to use it once before Hades interrupted him. Although it wasn't ultimately released, the channeling had drained him. He couldn't use it again in a short period without risking his life.
Fairy Law, this super magic, could only be safely used once every three months, and it placed a huge burden on the body and lifespan. If he used it twice in one day with his current heart condition, he might not even release the second one before he collapsed dead.
So Makarov could only use his most proficient Giantization magic to physically crush the enemy.
"Monster!!"
The Grimoire Heart Guild members screamed in terror as they were swatted like flies. They couldn't withstand Makarov's punch at all.
However, in the chaos, one figure slipped through the defense.
"Haha! I'll take this guy's life!! The glory is mine!"
Zancrow, the Flame God Slayer, seized the opportunity. His hands wreathed in black, divine flames, he stood over the exhausted Ren.
"God Slayer's Secret Art: Kagutsuchi!"
A huge arrow formed from swirling black flames materialized in his hands. The heat was intense, scorching the grass around him. He aimed it point-blank at Ren.
"Ren!!!"
Erza, Lucy, Gray, and the others all cried out in alarm at this sight, their eyes widening in horror. They were too far away.
The black arrow flew.
Suddenly!
CRACK————!!
A blinding flash of light tore through the forest canopy. A golden bolt of lightning, thick as a tree trunk, descended from the heavens with a deafening roar.
It struck the black flame arrow with pinpoint accuracy.
Boom————!
The black flame arrow was shattered instantly, dispersed into harmless sparks by the overwhelming voltage.
"What?!"
Zancrow was stunned, shielding his eyes from the glare. The Grimoire Heart members were also surprised, freezing in their tracks, not expecting someone to interfere at this critical moment.
The dust cleared. A tall, muscular figure appeared standing in front of Ren, lightning crackling around his body like a protective aura.
"What's going on? Ren, I don't remember when you stooped to being bullied by these nobodies?"
The newcomer spoke with a rough, arrogant voice. He had spiky golden hair, a lightning-bolt scar running down his right eye, and wore headphones around his neck. A grayish-yellow coat draped over his shoulders.
"Laxus!!"
Natsu shouted, his face lighting up.
The newcomer was indeed Laxus Dreyar. The exiled grandson of the Master. The Fairy Tail Guild members were somewhat pleasantly surprised—and relieved—to see Laxus.
Especially Natsu; he had pestered Makarov for a long time after Laxus was expelled from the guild, always hoping for his return.
Ren, lying on the ground, looked up at the towering figure of Laxus. He gave a weak, tired smile.
"Always with the sarcastic remarks... You're late." Ren coughed, pointing a thumb at the crater. "See those three guys lying there like dead dogs? The weakest of them is Jose, the former master of the Phantom Lord Guild. The other two are Hades and Bluenote."
"What?!?"
Laxus's eyes widened slightly under his coat. He was greatly astonished to hear this. Even with his own arrogance, he knew he had no confidence in dealing with Jose easily, let alone Hades. Yet Ren had defeated three of them by himself?
In just a few months, this guy seemed to have become even more monstrous than before.
"I've taken care of the strongest three," Ren sighed, closing his eyes. "The rest are up to you. Don't disappoint me."
With that, Ren lay down on the ground completely, letting his limbs go limp. He had expended a huge amount of energy this time. Although he hadn't reached the point of life-threatening overdraft, his magic power was truly completely depleted.
Kurama Mode was powerful, but the consumption was truly immense. With his magic power tank empty, he had no strength left in his body, and his spirit was also somewhat listless. He just wanted to sleep.
"Oh! You get some good rest," Laxus said, cracking his knuckles, electricity arcing between his fingers. A feral grin appeared on his face. "I'll take care of these trash."
"You bastard! Don't get in my way!!"
Zancrow recovered from his shock. His ego as a God Slayer wouldn't allow him to back down. "I am a God Slayer! My flames burn everything!"
His hands erupted in massive black flames, and he charged directly at Laxus.
"Flame God's Supper!!"
"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Laxus didn't flinch. His fist was wreathed in blinding golden lightning, the roar of a dragon echoing from his magic. He met the attack head-on.
Boom—————!!
Black flames and golden lightning—two powerful, ancient energies—collided in the center of the clearing. The ground beneath them cracked and caved in, instantly erupting in a violent explosion of light and heat.
Bang————!!
A figure was blasted out of the smoke.
It flew backward rapidly, sliding for a long distance on the ground, carving a trench in the dirt before finally stopping.
It was Zancrow, one of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory. He looked at his trembling hands, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"I actually... was suppressed?!"
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