He caught his breath, and Makalov had already recovered.
Although he was already over eighty, his body was remarkably robust; his powerful physique didn't need any fast-acting heart‑rescue pills at all.
After calming down, Makalov listened once more to Hope's recount of how the "Strongest Squad" was formed, and his expression immediately grew serious.
One should know that Elusa is not a reckless person.
She believes the problem requires a companion's help, and the allies she chose are the top‑tier S‑rank mages Naz and Gray—so the issue they face is likely to be quite thorny.
Thinking that way, it seemed the odds of them destroying an entire city were even higher.
Makalov massaged his temples, his mood suddenly flaring up.
Hope and Makalov had almost digested everything, and just as he was about to recount his recent experiences, a sudden commotion erupted outside the hall, followed by the main doors being violently blasted open.
Through the shattered door fragments, a gust of wind rose, and a tall, lanky figure wielding a scythe slowly emerged.
Elli Goll!
Hope subtly shielded the three guild masters—Makalov, Bob, and Goldmann—bringing them forward. Fortunately, Bob and Goldmann were respectively bulky and tall; otherwise, the short Makalov would have had nowhere to hide.
Several guild masters recognized Elli Goll and demanded, "Elli Goll! Attacking the regular meeting hall—are you declaring war on us and the council?!"
'Declare war? No, no, no.'
Elli Goll flashed a cruel smile, 'I'm here to proclaim your death.'
'Death? Just you? Elli Goll!'
Though Makalov was short, he stepped forward, and a massive magical pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall, suppressing and dispersing the gale that Elli Goll had summoned.
The might of the "Holy Ten Great Mages" was laid bare.
Elli Goll felt his pressure surge, yet his arrogant grin only grew more brazen. 'Makalov, I admit you're strong, but against the masterpiece of the Black Mage, your power is meaningless!'
He drew the wooden flute from his waist, raised it high, and cackled, 'When I blow this, you'll all turn to skeletal remains!'
'No! That's Lala Bai! The cursed song demon created by Jelf!' a guild master shouted, recognizing the instrument in Elli Goll's hand.
Upon hearing the name 'Jelf,' the guild masters' faces turned pale; the legendary progenitor of black magic had invented many terrifying things, the 'demon' being one of them.
Seeing the usually disdainful guild masters' faces shift to panic made Elli Goll delighted—he loved the feeling of being above everyone.
'Guild masters, I will use your lives to fulfill my title of "Grim Reaper"!'
Elli Goll brought the flute to his lips, but just as he was about to blow, a wall on one side of the hall shattered, and a magical four‑wheeled carriage sped in.
Through the smoke, a dashing figure appeared, followed by Naz, Gray, Lucy, Kana, and Habby.
'Elli Goll! Your plot ends here!' Elusa brandished her longsword, her armor gleaming under the hall lights, and shouted at Elli Goll.
Kana quickly scanned the scene, and upon seeing Hope unharmed, she visibly relaxed.
'Elli Goll, we've dealt with your Iron Forest; now surrender!' Naz's fist blazed with flame as he shouted excitedly, not sure whether he wanted to fight or persuade.
Elli Goll's face turned ashen.
Being interrupted while showing off was indeed irritating, but the idea that, while wiping out a bunch of guild masters, he could also eliminate a renowned S‑rank mage and a few minnows made him relish it.
That twisted pleasure delighted Elli Goll.
A vortex swirled around him; using the wind, Elli Goll shot upward, tearing through the hall's dome. 'Ants, it's time to hear my cursed song!'
Seeing Elli Goll about to blow the Lala Bai again, everyone unleashed spells to stop him.
But up in the sky, with the gale barrier in the way, Elli Goll was still one step ahead.
Wuu—puff—
A muffled, hoarse, slightly sputtering sound emerged from the flute.
It was unpleasant, but the expected horror of demons descending and lives withering never materialized.
The hall fell silent, everyone staring dumbfounded at Elli Goll.
Elli Goll himself was stunned—was his posture wrong? He stubbornly tried a few different positions and blew again.
Pup—
Wup—
The sound remained grating, like an old wooden door creaking, and nothing else happened.
'What on earth is happening?!'
'Why isn't the cursed song working?!'
Elli Goll, both shocked and angry, examined the flute in disbelief; the three‑eyed skull on it was still menacing, yet he felt no trace of powerful magic.
Could it be… a fake?
A thought flashed like lightning; Elli Goll snapped his head up, his gaze darting like an arrow toward Hope, who was hiding behind the three guild masters.
'It's you!'
'The Lala Bai you gave me!'
Elli Goll's roar instantly made Hope the center of everyone's attention.
Hope wore a teasing grin, and under the crowd's gaze, produced a wooden flute identical to Elli Goll's.
Elli Goll instantly realized he'd been duped by this seemingly harmless bartender!
The real Lala Bai had been with the bartender all along; the one he'd received was merely a magically fabricated fake!
'How dare you trick me?!'
Hovering in mid‑air, his fury turned his face so dark it seemed to ooze, his grip on the fake flute white‑knuckled.
Hope laughed softly, 'You only told me to hand you the Lala Bai, without specifying whether it had to be real or fake. How can you say I tricked you?'
'You bastard!'
Being mocked like a clown in front of everyone.
The intense humiliation kept gnawing at Elli Goll's nerves.
'You bastard! I'll tear you to pieces!'
A violent surge of magic, accompanied by a raging wind, erupted from Elli Goll, upending tables and chairs in the hall.
In an instant, countless razor‑sharp wind blades rained down like a storm, covering a wide area around Hope and blocking every possible escape route.
Blinded by rage, Elli Goll seemed to overlook the other guild masters, especially the fiercely protective elder Makalov.
A pure white light emanated from the magical circle on Makalov's hand, effortlessly swallowing the incoming storm of wind blades with its radiant glow.
However, Makalov and the other masters refrained from further action; as seniors, they wouldn't upstage the younger fighters.
With a burst of magical collision, the battle between the "Strongest Squad" and Elli Goll began.