Ifrit Wade: I Paid a Huge Price!

"Wade!"

Reed had completely thrown caution to the wind. Leaving the cover of the rocks, he charged toward Ifrit.

This guy had not made a move before, yet now he was pouring out magic power as if it cost nothing.

However, his Magnetic Field Magic was not as visibly powerful as Gravity Magic or Attraction Magic. Or rather, it was inherently more suited for support.

And Ifrit was not a wizard like Natsu, who unleashed magic power with reckless abandon.

The nature of Deception Magic focused more on precise control and refinement of magic power.

So Reed's Magnetic Field Magic did hinder Ifrit somewhat, but not by much.

If it had been Gravity Magic instead, given Ifrit's physical condition, he would have dropped to his knees instantly.

Of course, that was assuming the other side could find Ifrit first.

"Hahaha! Die, you deceitful wizard!"

At that moment, Wade could no longer hear Reed's words at all.

To his eyes, ears, senses, everything he perceived, his claw had pierced straight through "Ifrit's" abdomen!

Foul-smelling, sticky blood sprayed all over his face.

"Wade, you're amazing! I'll take you out for ice cream!"

"Wade, you're so strong. I'm no match for you!"

Wade heard his brother's cheers and Gade's praise.

He looked at "Reed" and said, "Brother, I want to eat him."

"Reed" said approvingly, "Of course, my good little brother."

Wade looked at "Ifrit," grinned smugly, and said, "Big liar, I'm going to eat you now."

He bit down on "Ifrit's" palm, and the other man let out a scream!

Tap.

Ifrit flew down in front of Wade.

He was carrying Hani.

He had made it!

Reed felt that he had finally reached a close enough distance to sense him. He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a black band around his wrist.

He tore the band apart with all his strength.

Clang.

Wade raised his arm and used the iron collar around his wrist to block Ifrit's blade.

Click. The collars around Wade's limbs and neck all came undone and fell away.

Danger!

Without hesitation, Ifrit used Wind Blast to retreat backward.

Whoosh.

Wade swiped backhandedly with his claw, nearly sending Ifrit flying.

Damn it!

I knew this brat wasn't simple!

Does this ever end?!

Just what kind of people are you?!

So many trump cards—are you the protagonist of some edgy manga?!

Ifrit felt rather helpless.

At that moment, Reed finally reached Wade's side.

Ifrit had tried to stop them, but Reed and Wade's magic power suddenly surged. Reed even used all his magic power to create a chaotic magnetic field, preventing Ifrit from pulling them back into the influence of Deception Magic for the time being.

It seemed they had brought out a desperate last resort.

Damn!

I ran into a sneaky bastard!

"Brother, I need your power." With the iron collars removed, Wade no longer had that crazed look. He appeared calm and cold.

Perhaps those iron collars had actually been seals placed on him.

As for why he had not removed them from the beginning, Ifrit guessed that either there were severe restrictions, or the price was enormous—second only to losing his life.

He leaned more toward the latter.

"There's no other way." Reed bit down on Wade's shoulder. Compared to that enormous price, defeating this powerful enemy was their only chance of surviving!

"This is how the bite marks on my body came to be," Wade said flatly to Ifrit.

Thud.

Reed's body went limp and collapsed to the ground. All signs of life vanished—he was dead.

Wade walked over to Gade, stretched out his foot, and said disdainfully, "If you're not dead yet, hurry up and bite."

Gade truly was not dead yet. A person could still hold on for a short time after being cut in half, especially since Gade was a powerful wizard.

Gade struggled to open his mouth and bit Wade's toe, then closed his eyes.

"This is my magic."

Wade's body rapidly swelled and grew.

He changed from a boy into a grown man.

He stood two meters tall, his muscles sharply defined. Simply standing there gave off immense pressure, just like Jura, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, whom Ifrit had seen before!

"I can have others bite my body, thereby imprisoning and obtaining their souls and magic."

"Though the price they pay is being sent back for a complete rebuild."

"For me, the longer I use this magic, the younger and more foolish my original body becomes."

"But you forced us into a corner, leaving me no choice but to use this method against you."

"Look—"

Wade spoke slowly.

"Every bite mark on my body represents a powerful opponent I killed in this form."

"Deceitful wizard, feel honored. You will be killed by me in this form."

"A weak life like yours has cost me five years of my lifespan."

Wade raised his chin slightly and closed his eyes. "It's here. I can feel my brother's power."

"But I still need some time to understand it."

"So let's fight like this. I hope you can hold out until I'm able to see you."

Wade closed his eyes and threw a punch on instinct.

Ifrit hurriedly retreated. The other side had found him!

Boom!

A pillar of fire six meters wide struck where Ifrit had been standing just moments before.

"I was born with extraordinarily strong intuition. Your deceptive magic is now practically useless against me."

Wade appeared in front of Ifrit in an instant.

He was too fast!

Ifrit could not escape!

"It seems you won't last until then. What a pity. Without that magic that can only deceive people, you've become so weak."

Wade threw a punch.

Boom!

The earth shook, and a mushroom cloud rose into the sky!

"Hm?"

Wade let out a surprised sound and blew out a powerful gust of wind.

The smoke and dust dispersed.

A ball of red thread had blocked his fist.

The red thread ball unraveled, revealing Ifrit standing inside.

Ifrit's expression was rather unpleasant.

He raised his left hand in front of his chest, the back of his hand facing outward.

The source of the red threads was his ring finger.

If he wore a ring there, it would signify marriage.

The red threads were tied around the ring finger of his left hand.

"What is this? Even I can't destroy it." Wade was extremely surprised.

Ifrit remained where he was. The red threads instantly transformed into a raging sea, crashing into Wade and sending him dozens of meters away.

"I didn't want to use this in the first place." Ifrit's expression did not look good. "Every time I use it, the red thread tightens a little more."

"Is that so? So it's red thread." Wade charged over and threw another punch, but it was once again blocked by a shield created from red threads.

He wanted to use Magnetic Field Magic to disrupt it and render this outwardly projected magic ineffective, but he found it was like punching an Ice Wall. That shield, seemingly made from soft and fragile red threads, was actually indestructible!

"I heard red thread represents destined romance, is that right?" Wade became even more curious.

Ifrit's fingers trembled slightly. He did not answer. His right hand grabbed a long blade woven from red threads, and he slashed upward. Wade's instincts were sharp, and he quickly pulled back, but half his palm was still cut off.

"What sharp red threads."

"Impossible to destroy, yet incomparably sharp."

"So this is your trump card magic?"

"How frightening."

Wade said with a faint smile.

Even with half his palm gone, even while facing red threads that filled the sky, he showed no fear whatsoever. His face remained relaxed.

With a tap of his toes, he used his incredible speed to escape the range of the red threads' deadly entanglement.

Ifrit looked at the red threads filling the sky, but he frowned and muttered unhappily to himself, "Why lend me so much? Are you trying to get yourself killed, you idiot?!"

"All right, I take back what I said before. Of all the opponents I've encountered, you are the most unusual one—the strongest one! But this ends here." Wade stood a hundred meters away and stopped attacking.

"I have completely understood my brother's magic."

"Even if you possess such powerful Red Thread Magic."

"Unfortunately, it's over."

Wade slashed his forehead with a fingernail, cutting open flesh and skin. He created a third eye in the middle of his forehead out of thin air.

"Let me see your true face, you liar!"

"And where your assistant is hiding!"

"I have now fused the magic power of three people. My eyes are countless times stronger than my brother's!"

"Everything hidden in this world will have nowhere to hide before me—"

"If you really can see everything." Ifrit adjusted his glasses and said with a complicated expression, "Then I strongly advise against doing that."