Life Magic: Life Link: Hundred Battles

In the early morning, the sunlight gently fell on the earth like silk threads, and a rustling sound came from inside the sleeping bag.

I don't know how Riyao fell asleep, but his head was buried deep inside the sleeping bag, while his feet were sticking out wide open.

It looked absolutely hilarious, like a strange silkworm pupa that had tucked its head into its shell.

Mirajane stood to the side, utterly exasperated. She frowned, gave the sleeping bag a light kick, and called out, "Hey, time to get up!"

Riyao's muffled, lazy murmurs came from inside the sleeping bag.

"Stop fooling around... It's not even dawn yet... Sleep a little longer..."

The sound, seemingly filled with endless weariness, drifted slowly from the depths of the sleeping bag.

Unable to bear it any longer, she suddenly grabbed the sleeping bag with both hands and shook it violently as if shaking off a bag of junk, and Riyao was thus dumped out of the sleeping bag.

She shouted, "Don't think it's night just because you're burying your head in the sand! Get up, we still have to travel to find the Stone Statue Titan today!"

Riyao sat up groggily, rubbing his sleepy eyes, his voice still heavy with drowsiness.

"Looking for the Stone Statue Titan? Haven't we already found it?"

"Huh? You're still asleep?" Mirajane's eyes widened, and she reached out and poked his forehead hard.

Riyao slowly stood up, stretched out a long yawn, as if to draw his body into a rainbow curve.

Then, he casually released Water Magic, summoning a stream of clear water. The water flowed like a graceful ribbon, drawing a beautiful arc in the air before landing in the simple water bowl in his hand.

He used the water to wash up, and after he finished, he playfully flicked Mirajane's face.

"Pfft... cough cough!"

Caught off guard, Mirajane choked on the water and coughed repeatedly. Her eyes widened, her face filled with surprise and anger.

Riyao patted her back cheerfully, a smile playing on his lips.

"Riyao! You absolutely did this on purpose!"

She was so angry that her face turned red. She grabbed his cheek and pulled it outwards, as if she wanted to deform his face.

"Um... it really wasn't... it was a slip of the hand."

Riyao let her knead him indistinctly, his face showing an innocent expression, his eyes wide open, as if he were truly wronged.

Mirajane released his grip after venting his anger, then suddenly remembered his earlier words. "Wait, say it again? The Stone Statue Titan has been found?"

"Yeah, we slept on it last night."

Riyao remained calm, as if it were an ordinary matter.

"Ah?!"

Mirajane was completely stunned. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open in disbelief.

Riyao calmly took a seed out of his pocket and threw it on the ground, the action very casual.

In the blink of an eye, the seed grew into a peach tree, its tender green branches and leaves quickly spreading out, blooming with beautiful flowers, and then bearing plump peaches.

He picked one and tossed it to Mirajane, then took a bite himself; the sweet juice dripped down his chin.

Mirajane took a bite of the peach, and seeing that he was still keeping her in suspense, she couldn't help but kick his shin again, the kick carrying a hint of her anger.

"Speak quickly!"

"Oh dear, this 'hill' we're standing on is actually the Stone Statue Titan itself."

Riyao pointed to the ground beneath his feet, a relaxed smile on his face.

Despite already having a suspicion, Mirajane jumped up as if she had stepped on a hot coal when she actually heard these words. Her eyes widened, and she clung to Riyao's back, gripping his shoulders tightly with both hands.

"You're so carefree! We slept up here all night?"

"Calm down, calm down."

Riyao carried her on his back with a smile, his eyes curving into crescent moons.

"It's dormant at this time of day. It's perfect to sleep here; it's flat and free from bugs."

As he spoke, he took out the Virgo Celestial Spirit Key, which emitted a faint glow.

"Come out, Virgo," Riyao shouted, his voice clear and loud.

Virgo appeared as summoned. Tall and with a cold expression, she silently picked up Mirajane and asked expressionlessly, "Master, what are your orders? Also, Virgo is awful."

The black and gold bracelet on Riyao's wrist instantly transformed into Fire Poker, which shimmered with a strange light, as if it contained powerful energy.

He slammed the stick into the ground, raising a cloud of dust and creating a shallow crater.

"Hold Mira steady for me first, I'll wake up this big guy."

Riyao said to Virgo.

"Hey! What do you mean 'helping you carry'? I want to fight too!"

Mirajane struggled in Virgo's arms, waving her arms, her face full of resentment.

"Don't rush, you'll have your chance to shine later."

Riyao blinked, a sly glint in his eyes.

"I see."

With Mirajane in her arms, Virgo leaped backward several times. Her movements were light and agile, like a nimble bird, and she landed gracefully at the foot of the distant mountain.

Golden patterns lit up around Riyao's body, the patterns resembling flowing flames, winding and swirling along his form.

He leaped into the air, his body spinning rapidly, the Fire Poker growing larger as it slammed down onto the "mountain" with a whistling sound.

Boom!!

A deafening roar shook the ground. The Stone Statue Titan awoke from the tremor, unleashing a deafening roar that seemed to tear the air apart, causing the surrounding atmosphere to tremble.

Taking advantage of the moment it opened its mouth, Riyao struck again, thrusting the Fire Poker deep into its throat with swift and decisive movements.

"Since you're awake, why don't you get a nucleic acid test while you're at it?" Riyao joked, his voice unusually clear amidst the roar of the engine.

Titan was enraged and slammed his palms together, his hands like two small mountains, carrying an overwhelming force.

Riyao gripped the staff tightly, using the momentum to pull himself forward like an arrow, narrowly avoiding the palm strike. He then retracted the staff and landed steadily beside Mirajane and Virgo.

The Stone Statue Titan had now fully risen, its body resembling a moving mountain, casting a shadow that completely enveloped the three of them, as if the entire world had been swallowed by this enormous shadow.

Riyao looked up at it and introduced it in a relaxed tone, "This guy doesn't know magic, but its rocky carapace is almost ten meters thick, and it's incredibly hard."

Mirajane stared at the enormous creature, her little face scrunched up, her eyes filled with worry. "Are we really going to fight it? Can we win?"

Virgo calmly replied, "It's a guaranteed win."

Her voice was steady and powerful, as if she had absolute confidence.

"Tsk, stealing my lines!"

Riyao smiled and leaned closer to Mirajane, blinking his eyes. "Big Sister Mira ~ You'll protect me, right?"

Mirajane compared the Titan's gigantic paw to her own size, her lips twitched, and she said helplessly, "I'm afraid I can only trim its toenails."

Riyao smiled and took her hand. Golden patterns spread from his arm to Mirajane's body, outlining intricate light marks that shimmered with strange light like mysterious runes.

[Life Magic, Life Link, Hundred Battles]

"Now try receiving the whole body," Riyao said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

Mirajane felt a strange power surging within her, a power that surged like a raging tide, churning within her.

She took a deep breath, and the magic circle beneath her feet shone brightly, runes flashing, the Satan Soul, receiving begins.