"Bastard!"
"Drop dead, kid! You think you can just walk in here?!"
The shouts of the Phantom Lord magesechoed through the hallway.
Dozens of wizards, dressed in the dark uniforms of the enemy guild, charged forward. They unleashed fire, ice, and bullets, trying to stop the intruder.
Ankh didn't even slow down.
He walked up the stairs with his hands in his pockets, looking completely bored. He completely ignored the attacks coming at him.
"You guys are noisy," Ankh muttered.
He casually waved his hand through the air, as if he were swatting away a few annoying flies.
BOOM!
A torrent of black Magic Power poured down from above.
It was just raw, heavy pressure.
The immense weight, enough to crush a boulder, struck the group of attackers like an invisible giant's hammer.
"Gahhh!"
The Phantom Lord members didn't stand a chance.
Their flimsy magical shields shattered instantly. They were pressed flat against the floor, unable to move a single finger.
Ankh stepped over them without looking down.
He soared into the air, skipping the last few steps, and landed softly in front of the massive double doors on the top floor.
He pushed the doors open and slowly entered the private office of the Guild Master.
The room was pitch-black.
It was so dark that Ankh couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face.
The curtains were drawn tight, blocking out the moonlight and the flashes of magic from the battle outside.
Ankh stood in the doorway and curled his lips in annoyance.
"Why do you villains always prefer staying in these pitch-dark rooms?" Ankh asked, his voice echoing in the darkness.
"Is there something wrong with your eyes? Or do you think it makes you look cool?"
There was silence for a moment.
With his astonishing eyesight, Ankh peered through the shadows. He could easily see the man sitting at the end of the long room.
He noticed the corner of Jose Porla's mouth twitching in irritation.
'This brat,' Jose thought angrily.
'Does he not understand what 'atmosphere' means? Does he not understand style? I was waiting here to look intimidating!'
"Ahem."
Jose coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
A magic crystal chandelier on the ceiling instantly infused with Magic Power.
Bright, white light flooded the room, revealing the lavish decorations, the long red carpet, and Jose sitting on his throne-like chair.
Ankh blinked, adjusting to the light as he looked at Jose with a speechless expression.
'Why not just turn on the lights earlier?' Ankh thought. 'Why go through all that useless nonsense just to sit in the dark alone?'
Jose stood up slowly.
He adjusted his high collar and walked toward Ankh with a sinister, arrogant grin.
"Ankh," Jose said, his voice smooth and cold. "You are known as the 'Fairy Grim Reaper' among the council and the dark guilds. That title is quite impressive for someone so young."
Ankh smiled innocently.
He didn't look threatened at all.
"You flatter me, old man," Ankh replied calmly. "It's all thanks to the support from our buddies in the magic circle. They gave me a cool nickname."
'Old Man...'
A vein popped on Jose's forehead.
His composure nearly shattered again. He hated being reminded of his age, especially by a rising star like Ankh!
He stared intently at the composed young man before him and sneered. "But... it seems you can't quite live up to that title. You walked right into my trap."
Jose took a step closer, his magic power flaring slightly.
"Kid, be careful. Don't let these fake reputations go to your head. If you get too arrogant, you'll die a miserable death..."
After saying this, Jose threw his head back and let out a triumphant, eerie laugh.
"Mwahahaha! Hahaha!"
He laughed as if he had already won, as if he held the upper hand over Ankh.
Ankh just stood there.
He continued to gaze at Jose calmly, watching the older man laugh maniacally at nothing.
Finally, Ankh tilted his head and spoke.
"What? Are you jealous?"
"Hahaha—gah—"
Jose's laughter abruptly cut off. It sounded like someone had suddenly choked him.
He stared at Ankh with wide eyes.
The atmosphere in the room instantly turned incredibly awkward.
The silence stretched on.
To be honest, Jose might, perhaps, really be a bit envious.
Ankh had immense reputation in the Magic world. He was young, he was handsome, he was strong, and he was in the number one guild.
As for Jose? He was powerful, yes. But he was an old, bitter man leading a guild of thugs. He didn't have the same "star power" as the wizards of Fairy Tail.
Thinking of this, Jose felt inexplicably more aggrieved.
He felt petty!
He glared at Ankh with pure hate.
Ankh stared back with bored eyes.
The two stood in a stalemate, neither speaking for a long time.
Downstairs, the building shook as Natsu and the others fought the rest of the guild. But here in the office, Ankh remained perfectly calm.
He seemed completely unworried about his companions carrying out the blitzkrieg overnight.
Seeing that Ankh was still unshaken, Jose forced a smile back onto his face.
"Ankh," Jose said, trying to regain control of the conversation. "You seem quite confident in your companions? Do you really think they can defeat my Element 4?"
Ankh nodded as if it were a fact of life. "Of course. Those worthless S-class of yours? Even if they all attacked at once, they are no match for Erza."
'Fuck you—!' Jose screamed internally.
'Ahem! Stay calm,' Jose told himself. 'He won't be smug for long.'
Jose's smile stiffened, and his tone turned cold.
"Fine. No need to worry about the battle here. But... aren't you concerned about the situation back at your own guild?"
"Meh nothing will happen," Ankh replied instantly.
In just a few sentences, Jose realized he had lost the war of words.
He had developed a passive immunity to Ankh's provoking remarks, but it still annoyed him.
"The one you trust to guard the guild is Mirajane, right?" Jose continued, trying to find a weak point.
"That 'Demon' girl... her abilities are indeed formidable."
Jose rambled on and on about strategy, but Ankh looked at him as if he were an idiot.
'Shouldn't he just attack me already?' Ankh wondered. 'Why is he making small talk? It's like he wants to explain his whole evil plan.'
It was only then that Ankh understood a universal truth about villains.
Villains don't lose because they are weak.
They lose because they talk so damn much!
They love the sound of their own voices. Just by chatting a bit more, they can extend their screen time for several minutes.
Jose clearly understood this truth well. He continued with a sinister smile.
"Mirajane may be powerful," Jose hissed, "but don't forget—she has a younger sister!"
Ankh raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Elfman is here fighting," Jose explained with glee. "But Lisanna is not. If we were to, say, capture Lisanna and threaten to hurt her... do you think the Demon Mirajane could still fight properly?"
Ankh nodded slowly. "So that's it. You plan to target Lisanna to threaten Mirajane, forcing her to surrender. That is a low blow, even for you."
Jose laughed triumphantly. "Based on my understanding of my subordinate, Sol, he would definitely do something like this. He loves psychological warfare."
Ankh nodded again.
He didn't look panicked. He just looked thoughtful.
"In that case," Ankh said, "you must have made arrangements for Lucy as well."
Jose's smile suddenly vanished.
He narrowed his eyes cunningly. "Why would I target her? She is just a rookie wizard."
Ankh sneered mockingly. "Stop pretending, Jose. The heiress of the Heartfilia conglomerate. The younger guild members might not know who she is, but I certainly do."
Jose looked Ankh up and down. He scoffed, looking impressed despite himself.
"It seems Makarov really intends to groom you as the next Guild Master," Jose admitted. "Your intelligence work is quite impressive. Most people don't know about her family background."
Jose took a step back, spreading his arms wide.
"But even if you don't care about that young lady, we do. Her father paid a hefty price for us to bring her back to him. We need that money."
Ankh's tone remained calm, but his words carried a heavy, powerful tone that filled the room.
"Sorry," Ankh said. "But Lucy is a member of Fairy Tail. She is family. She is none of your concern."
Jose looked at him disdainfully. "That's not for you to decide, boy. I've already sent my elite team to capture her at the hospital. Do you think a pampered young lady like her can stand a chance against my subordinates?"
"You sent people to the hospital?" Ankh asked.
"Exactly."
Ankh sighed.
He rolled his eyes. "You really are annoying."
BOOM!
Ankh spread his arms. The magic power within him erupted instantly.
The solid stone floor beneath Ankh's feet shattered into dust.
The air in the room became heavy and hard to breathe. The sheer force of the pressure forced Jose to slide back several steps.
Seeing Ankh suddenly take action, Jose thought he had finally struck a nerve.
"Hahaha! Are you angry now?!" Jose laughed heartily.
He unleashed his own magic power to resist Ankh's pressure.
A dark, purple shadow enveloped Jose.
Unlike Ankh's magic, which felt sharp, cold, and dominating—like a Grim Reaper—Jose's magic felt vile.
It was viscous and sticky, like sludge from a sewer. It induced nausea in anyone who drew near.
The magic a mage learns often reflects their true nature.
Just as a person's face reveals their health, magic can reveal a mage's personality and soul.
Jose's soul was dark and rotting.
His appearance changed. The whites of Jose's eyes turned pitch-black, and his pupils became a glowing vermilion red.
He looked eerily demonic, like a malicious evil spirit.
'He looks like a ghoul,' Ankh thought, amused.
'Those eyes remind me of that anime, Tokyo Ghoul. He actually looks kind of stylish, in a creepy way.'
Ankh's own eyes glowed a pure crimson.
A towering cloud of black-and-gold magic power gathered above him.
Facing Jose's repulsive purple magic, Ankh looked like a monarch looking down upon a dirty peasant.
His power was clearly overpowering his opponent.
But Jose didn't seem to notice the difference in quality. He was too drunk on his own power.
"DIEEE!" Jose screamed.
He waved his hands. His blood-red eyes flashed. Sinister magic gathered into multiple magic circles that appeared in the air before him.
"Ghost Arrows!"
Dense, black-purple light emanated from the circles. Waves of dark energy shaped like screaming ghosts shot forth!
Screeeech!
The ghosts flew through the air, their mouths open in silent screams, aiming to tear Ankh apart.
Ankh's expression turned serious.
He didn't dodge.
The black-and-gold aura around him intensified. It coalesced into a massive tidal wave of energy that surged forward to meet the rain of arrows.
CRASH!
The two powers collided in the center of the room.
The impact was devastating. The walls of the office cracked. The windows blew out, showering glass onto the street below.
The entire guild hall began to shake violently.
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