Escape

"Water Release, Water Formation Wall!"

Seeing the sword aura speeding toward him, Chiba hurriedly formed Hand Seals. Then he stopped abruptly and spewed a massive amount of water from his mouth. The water surged upward, forming a wall of rushing water that blocked the sword aura.

Fortunately, the Water Formation Wall's defenses were strong enough. The sword aura vanished as soon as it entered the water.

Yet a smile spread across Puroke's face.

"Explode!"

As his low shout fell, a crimson light flashed within the Water Formation Wall. Then, with a sudden explosion, it blasted the wall apart!

Surprise appeared in Chiba's eyes. Water Formation Wall was the highest-level technique he currently had, yet Puroke had actually broken through it.

If Puroke had been using his original A-Class strength, breaking through Water Formation Wall would have seemed normal to Chiba. But inside the Magic-Sealing Space, even now, with Puroke using some unknown magic, he had peak B-Class magic power at most. The fact that he could break through Water Formation Wall showed just how terrifying his offensive power was.

"My magic lets me detonate my own magic power. Your water wall certainly looks impenetrable from the outside. But my sword aura cut into the wall, and the explosion was powerful enough to destroy it from within." A vicious smile appeared on Puroke's face. "So that move of yours is useless against me now."

Chiba's gaze flickered. Puroke could break Water Formation Wall and cut through Great Fireball. Gale Palm probably wouldn't do much, and Phoenix Flower Fire would be much the same.

That meant almost none of the Ninjutsu Chiba currently knew would work against him!

"What's wrong? Out of tricks?" Puroke seemed to notice Chiba's awkward predicament and smiled grimly.

Chiba tightened his grip on his Kunai. Since those offensive Ninjutsu were useless, he would just fight him up close!

He shifted his feet into the stance for Shadow Flame Splits the Heavens. Chakra surged through his legs, and his body shot forward!

"Hand-to-hand combat? I like it!" Puroke smiled, raised his blade, and charged at Chiba as well.

"Bang!"

Sword and leg collided, sending a blast of force spreading outward from the two of them. Chiba's gaze turned cold, and Chakra burst from his leg, knocking Puroke's longsword slightly aside. Then he flipped over and swept his other leg down toward Puroke's forehead!

"Hmm???"

Puroke blocked Chiba's kick with one hand. Then the muscles in his arm bulged as he forced Chiba's leg upward.

He grabbed Chiba's leg with one hand and, in an instant, hurled him away by it!

"Bang!"

Chiba was thrown into the crowd like a cannonball, crashing into more than a dozen people before coming to a stop.

"Die!"

Beneath him, a mage raised his staff and, enduring the intense pain of the impact, formed a ball of magic.

"Trying to get me?"

Chiba clapped his hands together, then pressed one hand against the mage's forehead. The wind force of Gale Palm slammed him into the ground with a boom, smashing a crater into the earth!

Chiba flipped to his feet, only for Puroke to appear before him and slash down with his sword. But Chiba dodged with a flip.

"Schlick!"

The blade still came down, cutting in half the people Chiba had landed on earlier, including several Shadow Skull mages.

"Fuck, he even kills his own people!" Chiba cursed and sprang up.

"Don't even think about running!" Puroke pursued him relentlessly.

"As if I'd listen to you!" With that, Chiba took off running.

His Ninjutsu was useless, and he couldn't win with Taijutsu either. If he didn't run now, was he supposed to stay for the New Year?

"Big sis, I can't beat this guy, so I'm getting out of here!"

Chiba shouted toward Ultear, then ran at full speed toward the edge of the Magic-Sealing Space.

Ultear knocked aside the A-Class mage's attack with a Free Ball. Gritting her teeth, she couldn't help but curse, "Chiba! If you dare run, I'll skin you alive the next time I see you!"

Chiba shuddered instinctively, but then he thought he might not even see her again. What the hell was he afraid of?

But if he ran off just like that, would this girl die?

If she died, who would revive the fallen Tenrou Tree during the future battle on Tenrou Island?

Would the people killed by the young dragons at the Grand Magic Games really die?

But what did it matter to him whether those people lived or died?

But those people were Mira's companions...

What a dilemma! What a damn dilemma!

He hurriedly turned around and charged toward Ultear.

Surprise appeared in Ultear's beautiful eyes. What was this guy trying to do?

Just as Chiba reached her, he suddenly ducked, then hoisted her over his shoulder.

Ultear was dumbfounded.

"You're so damn noisy. I can't do anything about the others, so I'll take you and get out of here first!" Chiba explained as he ran.

The A-Class mage who had been fighting Ultear was dumbfounded as well.

"Don't even think about running!" He formed a magic circle with his hand, and the earth shook. Stone spikes shot up from the ground, thrusting toward Chiba.

"Wind Release, Gale Palm!"

With Ultear over his shoulder, Chiba held her legs with one hand and supported her waist with the other. Then he leaped into the air and brought his feet together. A violent wind burst from both soles, shattering the countless stone spikes rising from the ground. He then used the recoil to propel himself farther away.

"Bang!"

His feet hit the ground, and he continued running at full speed.

"Everyone, go after Ultear and kill her with everything you've got!"

Watching Chiba grow more and more distant, Puroke couldn't help but shout.

"Yes!"

Many Shadow Skull mages disengaged from their battles and moved to intercept the fleeing Chiba.

"Grimoire Heart mages, stop them! We can sacrifice ourselves, but we must make sure Lady Ultear gets out alive!" On the battlefield, a Grimoire Heart mage raised his arm and shouted.

"Yes!!!"

All the Grimoire Heart mages let out a deafening cry. Fervent expressions appeared on their faces, and one by one, they charged at the mages blocking Chiba, ready to face death without fear.

"Who would've thought people from a dark guild would be so loyal to each other!"

Chiba muttered under his breath, but he didn't slow down in the slightest. Loyalty was one thing, but he still had to escape. Inside the Magic-Sealing Space, these mages couldn't escape against Shadow Skull's superior numbers. Chiba, who used Ninjutsu, might be able to escape with Ultear.

"Brat, die!"

Puroke charged over with the A-Class mage. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had gone mad, and he sent a slash of sword aura at them.

"Stop him!" a Grimoire Heart mage shouted. More than ten mages simultaneously formed magic circles beneath their feet, and stone barriers rose from the ground one after another.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Though there were many barriers, they were clearly very fragile. The sword aura only stopped after cutting through almost all of them.