Phantom Lord, Part Five

Jose sat in the command room with a gloomy expression, his old fingers tapping the armrests, the rhythm growing faster and faster.

He could sense that the magic power causing the Purgatory Shatter was gradually slowing down.

Of the Element 4, only Juvia remained. If Juvia hadn't fallen in love with Gray at first sight (due to lust), she would have shown mercy at the crucial moment.

Gray is unlikely to defeat Juvia. Juvia's overall strength is enough to qualify her for S-Class in Fairy Tail, and none of those who awaken their own magic are weak.

The battle between Natsu and Gajeel was also quite intense. The two dragons were so engrossed in their fight that they were suspended in mid-air. Their iron fists and fire fists collided in mid-air, and the shockwaves made the walls of the fortress tremble.

"Fire Dragon, is that all you've got? I truly am the strongest dragon!"

Gajeel's iron fist slammed into Natsu's face, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"You lump of metal! If you're so tough, don't harden your body!"

Natsu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and flames surged on his fist.

When Riyao watched the anime, I felt something was strange. Given Jose's level of madness, if he sent Gajeel to attack the Fairy Tail members, he should have killed them outright, instead of leaving Gajeel severely injured and hanging in the park like he did.

When Gajeel led his team to capture Lucy, he didn't kill her, but his two subordinates really went all out and almost killed Loke and Reedus.

The attack on Levy and her two companions was more like a warning, letting Fairy Tail know that this was no small matter, but a serious operation.

Gajeel, this Iron Dragon, is not as bloodthirsty as he appears; he is more like a belligerent but reckless man who doesn't kill.

Dragon King's Choice: Trustworthy.

Jose was too arrogant. The overall combat strength of Phantom Lord was nowhere near that of Fairy Tail. He just thought that he, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, could wipe out the entire guild.

He underestimated the cohesion of Fairy Tail, and even more so, he underestimated those madmen who would fight tooth and nail for their comrades.

Bang!

The door to Jose's room was kicked open, and the heavy metal door flew out like a piece of paper, crashing into the opposite wall with a deafening thud.

Mirajane and Riyao didn't disturb Gray and Natsu's battle; instead, they went straight to Jose. The two stood side by side at the door, one a demon and the other a Celestial Spirit, their aura overwhelming.

Jose sat on his throne with his legs crossed, an elegant smile on his aged face, as if he were entertaining a visiting guest rather than facing an enemy who had invaded his headquarters.

His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, his tone calm.

"I can't believe you've come this far. Riyao, join Phantom Lord. What Makarov can give you, Phantom Lord can give even more."

Riyao looked at Jose with a smile, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted, and his tone amused.

"Join Phantom Lord? Are you kidding me? After today, there won't be any Phantom Lord left. You attacked Fairy Tail, another guild of Light, and you even dared to attack the Magic Council."

Jose's smile vanished, his aged face instantly turning grim. He said coldly, "What are you talking about? When did I ever attack the Magic Council?"

Mirajane, in her transformed state, scratched her head, her crimson eyes filled with confusion. A small tuft of hair on her forehead swayed gently as she moved. Her bewildered expression combined with her demon form was strangely adorable.

Riyao revealed a bright smile, took a map from his pocket, unfolded it in front of Jose, and drew an arc on the map with his finger.

"Guess where your Jupiter went?"

Jose, who had been relatively calm, began to follow the movement of Riyao's finger.

When he saw the location Riyao pointed to, his expression became quite interesting, first turning pale, then ashen, and finally turning a deep liver color.

His fingers tightened suddenly, and with a snap, the stone handrail was crushed by his grip.

"How dare you! How dare you! I'll kill you!"

Jose rose from his throne, his magic surging wildly, dark purple energy burning like flames on his body, his aged face contorted into a mask of rage.

Mirajane saw clearly where Riyao was pointing; it was none other than the Magic Council's branch.

Great! Killing two birds with one stone.

While we're at it, let's take care of the Magic Council, which is usually so annoying.

Mirajane's smile was even brighter than Riyao's, his eyes gleaming with pleasure, and a dangerous curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Jose's face was extremely pale, and his magic power poured out, with dark purple energy surging from his body like a tsunami.

The whole room was shaking, and countless cracks appeared on the walls. The ceiling lights shattered and splintered on the floor.

"You will all die here today!"

The pressure of the magic caused both Riyao and Mirajane to change color. The air became heavy and viscous, as if it had been filled with molten lead, making it difficult to even breathe.

This is the oppressive aura of the veteran Ten Wizard Saints. Their magic power does not decline with physical aging; it only grows stronger, like aged wine that becomes more potent with time.

"Mira!"

[Fairy Constellation - Star Dress]

Riyao's body transformed into a pale golden light, not disappearing, but flowing like water into Mirajane's body, merging into every inch of her skin.

Golden patterns spread from Mirajane's chest, wrapping around her arms, waist, and legs like vines.

Mirajane's original purple bodysuit was transformed into a black and gold battle dress with the help of the Star Dress.

Normal Star Dress simply grant unique attack methods, but the Riyao is not a normal Celestial Spirit; it has its own source of magic power.

With their magic fused together, Mirajane could freely use the Life Magic of the Riyao and the earth magic brought by the Celestial Spirit body, and even the magic of the Riyao and the Hundred Battles Spell Formula.

Mirajane raised her hand to unleash magic; pale golden light surged from her palm, colliding with dark purple magic in the air.

[Life Magic: Hundred Battles]

[Enchantment Magic: Amplify all aspects of magic power, strength, and defense...]

A series of buff spells covered Mirajane like armor, her aura surged instantly, and the runes on her black and gold battle dress lit up with a dazzling light.

Mirajane spread his wings and instantly rushed to Jose's side, moving as fast as a black lightning bolt.

She spun sideways and kicked, her long legs carrying terrifying power, her toes slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Jose raised his hand and released a barrier. Dark purple magic condensed into a thick wall, blocking the powerful side kick.

The shockwave still forced him back half a step, and a tingling sensation ran through his arm.

"What is this thing?! Riyao is Celestial Spirit?!"

Jose's arm felt slightly numb. He looked down at his trembling fingers and thought it was outrageous.

A Celestial Spirit and a Demon's magic have merged—what kind of monster is this?

Mirajane tilted his head, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"We'll burn paper money to tell you this when you die!"

[Soul Extinction]

Crack, crack, cracks spread rapidly from the point of contact, and the entire barrier collapsed like shattered glass.