The Edge of Corruption

At that moment, Jikade shouted, "All personnel, listen to my command! Second Squad, Fourth Squad, Sixth Squad, Eighth Squad, all of you follow Fairy Tail's Chiba to the town to support Vice-Captain Tianna!"

The squad leaders whose numbers were called stood up simultaneously and responded in deep voices.

Jikade placed his large hands on Chiba's shoulders, gritted his teeth, and said, "For the sake of our brothers fighting on the front lines, I cannot leave the position rashly, so... I'm entrusting Tianna to you..."

"Yes!" Chiba nodded emphatically.

But Kangnaite stood up, enduring the burning pain, and glared at the two with venomous eyes. He said sharply, "You're finished! I will report this to the lord truthfully. You disregarded the lives of your comrades, and for the sake of Tianna, whom the lord has already abandoned and whose death is imminent, you actually gave up a golden opportunity to attack the headquarters of the Sword of Slaughter!"

Chiba glanced at him indifferently, walked towards him step by step, and said softly, "Tianna was a good girl. She shouldn't have died here. She wasn't abandoned, neither was Jikade, nor was I. The 'adult' you speak of, he's nothing but a fart."

Kangnaite instinctively took a step back, but remembering the person behind him, he straightened his back and said, "I know you, Chiba Uchiha, the mage of Fairy Tail. Do you know how many people are eyeing your guild? Do you know how many people want your guild to disband?"

He grinned maliciously, the pain from his wound making him appear almost hysterical. "I'll remember you. You cut off my hand. I will definitely report this to Lord Bolunte. A person who can manipulate people's minds and control monsters is definitely a dark mage who has fallen into evil. Justice will surely judge you! This matter is enough to make the councilors disband your guild."

"There's no room for negotiation, is that it..." Chiba sighed softly, her eyes filled with pity as she looked at him, as if she were looking at an utterly foolish idiot.

"What... what do you want to do?!" Kangnaite took two steps back and swallowed hard.

Chiba raised his palm, and a vast amount of magical power gathered in his hand. Then, a stream of black and white magical power surged out and instantly pierced through his chest.

"You... you..." Kangnaite pointed at him, but a large amount of blood gushed from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide open like saucers.

The people fell silent, speechless with shock at the boy's decisive and ruthless methods.

How old does Chiba look? Fourteen? Fifteen? Or sixteen? He could only be called a teenager at most. What were they doing at that age?

He endured the pain and leaped onto the Water King's head. The cold wind made his robes flutter loudly. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Let's go!"

People looked up at the thin boy, who seemed to possess an inexplicable aura that could command their attention.

The giant serpent led a vast army of human magic warriors toward Dragon Corpse Valley.

The boy stood atop the giant snake's head, his eyes bloodshot and surrounded by a faint black aura.

A few minutes later.

When Mira and Ultear, who had transformed back into her medic form, arrived at the battlefield, they saw blood everywhere and people cleaning up Kangnaite's body.

"Miss Mira..." Jikade, who was preparing to return to his tent, looked puzzled.

He wondered why Mira hadn't come with him when Chiba arrived, but only now.

"Where are the Chiba people?" Mira asked anxiously.

Jikade explained it to her.

Mira and Ultear exchanged a glance.

Ultear, now disguised as a military medic, said in a deep voice, "Captain, Mr. Chiba's condition is extremely poor. In the battle just now, most of his body was torn apart by the immense energy. And just now, he only managed to stop the bleeding."

Jikade was stunned.

He never expected that Chiba, who had just been as cold and indifferent as a god of death, would come to him with such serious injuries and ask for his help.

He suddenly remembered something. He recalled that Tianna had told him that Chiba had brought the python with him when he came, but had taken it back earlier for fear of scaring others. But just now, he had clearly arrived standing on the python's head.

Was it because his injuries rendered him too weak to come on his own that the python brought him here? But such a body is already a burden; what good can it do?

"Damn it!" Jikade cursed.

He blamed himself for being so blind, failing to notice the severity of his injuries. But upon closer reflection, the boy's cold gaze and piercing aura made it hard to believe he was a seriously wounded patient.

He suddenly shivered, because he remembered the magic that the boy didn't belong to him, and... the faint black mist swirling around him.

Like a... demon on the verge of going berserk!

"Lord Jikade, I'm going after them." Mira said this and left with Ultear.

Although she was extremely reluctant to bring the girl along, she hoped to get some information out of her.

Jikade watched them leave silently, and after they were gone, he said, "Jien."

The young man who had been waiting in the wings stepped forward.

"What exactly happened to Chiba?" Running through the snow, the cold wind brushed against Mira's pretty face, and she couldn't help but ask Ultear beside her.

Ultear glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke, "It's not looking good. Do you know the origin of the Magic Divine Crystal?"

Mira shook her head.

"Magic Divine Crystals are highly concentrated collections of demon crystals. When used properly, they can enhance a mage's magical power, essentially expanding their magical energy reservoir. However, they can also be used as an energy source. The Shadow Skull awakened the Bone Dragon by condensing a large amount of demon crystals from Dragon Corpse Valley into Magic Divine Crystals," Ultear said. "But Magic Divine Crystals can also be understood in another sense, namely, [the crystallization of demons and gods]."

"It can be the divine power to save all living beings, or it can transform into the demonic power to destroy the world."

Ultear said calmly, "Magic is actually the manifestation of a person's inner desires. The stronger a person's inner desires, the higher their magical talent will be."

"It can also be understood that magic is connected to a person's will."

"If Chiba were in a normal emotional state, absorbing the Magic Divine Crystal only heal his injuries and grant him some magical power. However... he seems to have fallen into a state of rage, with negative emotions far outweighing positive ones. Furthermore, under the influence of the Magic Divine Crystal, he will become even angrier and more bloodthirsty... and even... ultimately fall into darkness..."

Mira's face turned deathly pale.

Ultear suddenly laughed, "Do you know that guy's true background?"