Mira, in Peril

Deep in the forest

The former Black Heaven Guild headquarters, now an open space before the ruins

Two people and one beast were locked in a tense standoff, while another person lay dazed in the open space nearby.

"So, Mira, this is what you meant by making me believe in... Aahhh!"

Before Qian Guang could finish wallowing in sorrow, Demon Mirajane launched the first attack. Dark Sparks reached all three of them in an instant.

There was no time to keep brooding. He teleported away immediately. After so long, he had finally gotten the hang of teleportation.

But the moment Qian Guang finished teleporting, a spatial gate appeared before him, and Dark Sparks came flying straight at his face.

Damn it!

"Bang!"

Or stood where he was, the corners of his mouth curling upward. A spatial gate also stood before him, and every attack aimed at him had been redirected toward Qian Guang.

He had originally thought he could only flee. But with his younger brother's life and death still unknown, and with the melee working in his favor, he could stay a little longer and see if there was any hope.

"Cough, cough."

Qian Guang took a Dark Spark head-on, and even his smooth hair had split and curled at the ends.

Bastard! Even if you were Mira, I'd still teach you a lesson! Not to mention you weren't even her.

Just as Qian Guang was about to settle things with Or, an even larger, thicker beam of dark light shot toward him. At the same time, he felt the space around him being compressed.

!!!

Damn it, wasn't this supposed to be a melee? Why were they both attacking only me?! And why were they coordinating so well?!

He decisively gave up on teleporting away and controlled vines to surround himself, at least to block the attack for a moment.

Even Or found it strange that things were going so smoothly. Why was that giant bug also focusing all its attacks on this brat?

Meanwhile, the giant bug simply thought that since this human had been hit, this human was the weakest. Eliminate him first!

So evolution could indeed raise intelligence. Though perhaps only by a limited amount.

"Ha, so I'm being looked down on by a dead bug!"

Qian Guang's Sharingan spun wildly. Magic power gradually overflowed from him, and his presence became terrifying.

"Amaterasu: Twenty-Eight Forms!"

A magic circle appeared beneath the Xenomorph Demon's feet.

"Roar!"

It tried to fly away, but vines rushed over and bound it tightly.

At the crucial moment, Or arrived and blocked part of the vines, buying the Xenomorph time to escape.

A massive purple-black pillar of light erupted from the ground. Although the Xenomorph escaped, half its body was still struck, its golden flesh scorched black.

"Tsk, Or!... Pfft!"

Qian Guang turned toward the troublemaking Or, intending to switch targets, but the instant he turned his head, a black claw strike came at him. Or's spatial gate redirected the damage again.

"Damn it!"

The melee gave Or far too much of an advantage. He had even run over to the ruins to search for his younger brother.

As Demon Mirajane charged at him, the shit-yellow bug behind her also remembered its grudge and swung its scythes. Qian Guang felt his head grow huge!

He teleported away.

You two demons fight each other first!

Or was searching for his younger brother. He refused to believe his brother had simply died like that. As a merchant, he naturally had plenty of items for preserving his life.

He quickly dug out a chubby, greasy hand. Just as he was about to use magic to clear away the stones above it, Qian Guang arrived.

An ice-blue spear shot toward Or. A spatial gate opened behind Or and transferred the attack away, but Qian Guang had been waiting for that.

He teleported directly in front of Or, Wind Blades swirling around his wrist as they slashed toward Or's chest.

Or's pupils shrank!

He tried to retract his spatial gate and teleport away, but it was too late. His chest was still sliced open before he could teleport, and blood instantly poured down.

"Heh, trying to save someone?"

Qian Guang had seen the arm as well. But he was not so despicable as to threaten Or with his younger brother. He simply wanted to stop Or from fleeing after rescuing him. Besides, the person beneath the rubble was already half-dead even through his senses and posed no threat.

"Move!"

Or's face darkened. He had to hurry. His magic power would not last much longer.

"Ha? Or! We're fighting to the death!" Qian Guang wanted to laugh. His scarlet eyes stared fixedly at Or, devoid of even the slightest amusement. There was only hatred and indifference.

"Let my brother go. He wasn't involved in that matter!" Or knew there could be no peaceful resolution, but he still wanted to try.

"I don't think he's innocent. Besides, my promise back then was to wipe out the entire Black Heaven Guild!"

Bloody tears flowed from Qian Guang's eyes. He had used the Sharingan too much, and coupled with his immense hatred, he was nearing his limit.

But he continued staring at Or without blinking. The slightest movement from Or would be noticed immediately.

"Boom!"

"Roar!"

The Xenomorph Demon crashed in while clutching Mirajane, slamming right into the ruins.

The Xenomorph opened its huge mouth, trying to bite Mirajane, but Mirajane's claws held its jaws firmly apart.

However, Mirajane was nearly at the end of her strength as well. After all, Acceptance Magic did not make her a true demon. Her own magic power had limits.

Qian Guang and Or charged over at the same time. That giant bug was pinning two people down, after all.

Rogrand woke from the pain and discovered that he was being crushed beneath something, with the pressure steadily increasing.

"Aahhh!!!"

Hearing his younger brother's scream, Or teleported over immediately, only to have his path blocked by the Xenomorph's long tail.

It did not care what he wanted to do. It only knew that this person belonged to it! No one could approach!

Mirajane also heard the scream beneath her. With a sweep of her tail, she wrapped Rogrand up and stuffed him into the Xenomorph's mouth before retreating.

"Hehehe, die!"

Mirajane tried to activate her magic, but Qian Guang, who had rushed over, interrupted her.

Qian Guang wanted to knock Mirajane unconscious and take her away, but all he got in return was a bloody mark across his chest.

Who said striking the back of someone's neck could knock them out?!

Elsewhere

The Xenomorph was bewildered when food was suddenly stuffed into its mouth. It instinctively bit down. The taste was not bad. (￣~￣) Chew!

He instantly turned into a mosaic.

"No!!!"

Or completely broke down as he watched his younger brother get bitten by the demon and turn into a mosaic. Ignoring his injuries, he broke through the Xenomorph's tail and teleported before it.

"Realm Severance!"

Consumed by rage, Or unleashed the strongest attack he could control at the Xenomorph's neck.

"Roar!"

The Xenomorph failed to dodge and lost half its neck. But Or only managed to reclaim half of his younger brother, and after the Xenomorph swallowed the flesh and blood, the wound on its neck began to slowly heal.

Or teleported into the distance while holding half of his younger brother. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Or could not accept that the younger brother he had raised since childhood, who had respected him so deeply, had become like this.

Banna's death had already broken him because he had not been there to witness it. This time, his younger brother had died right before his eyes!

Or felt as though his life had gone dark. What was the meaning of everything he had done without his younger brothers? Who would he share amusing stories with? Who would he share fine wine and beautiful women with? Who?!

"Hahahahahahaha! Everyone die!"

Or felt he no longer had any reason to exist. Even if he clung to life, he had already lost every bond he had.

He was not obsessed with power, nor did he pursue strength. All he cared about were his younger brothers. His love of money and cruelty was only because his childhood had been too miserable, and he wanted to vent and indulge himself, to give his brothers something better.

Now, all of that was gone. He could escape, and no one could stop him, but it no longer mattered.

Or's body began to swell continuously, and a massive suction force emerged from within him.

"Roar!"

The Xenomorph Demon, being closest, roared repeatedly as it tried to escape. But its wings could not break free, and it drove its twin scythes into the ground to stop itself from being pulled in.

Or stared at the three culprits before him with hatred in his eyes. "Come on, all of us together!"

Or's body continued collapsing until he finally transformed into a massive black hole.

!

Qian Guang felt immense terror.

He would die!

If he was sucked in, he would definitely die!

He wanted to grab Mirajane and flee, but Mirajane had already been drawn close to the Xenomorph. And her demon form had been released!

The normal Mirajane had returned! But not a trace of magic power remained in her body. She could not even move.

Feeling her exhausted body, Mirajane smiled bitterly. She had remained conscious while being controlled, and she knew what she had done. She had to admit, she really had been brave.

But it seemed she had caused him a lot of trouble too. More than half the injuries on his body had probably been inflicted by her.

Qian Guang was such an idiot. He could have just knocked her out, but he insisted on not fighting back.

But if that was the case, then your revenge has been taken, right? Still, I'm sorry. I didn't keep our promise.

Mirajane looked at the anxious, helpless boy in the distance. She truly regretted causing things to turn out this way. "Run! Idiot! Why are you just standing there?!"

"Mira!" Seeing Mira's miserable smile, Qian Guang stopped maintaining his body. Not only that, he accelerated toward her.

"Roar!!!"

The Xenomorph's unwilling roar rang out as it was swallowed by the black hole, ending its brief and sinful life.

Watching Qian Guang rapidly approach her, Mira cried anxiously. "Go! Get lost! I don't need you! Leave, you bastard!"

Qian Guang ignored Mirajane. All he wanted now was to catch her. Just a little closer! I don't want to lose Mira!

Qian Guang's Sharingan spun wildly, as though responding to its master's wish!

Mirajane drew closer and closer to the black hole, and Qian Guang's Three-Tomoe began to change.

The three tomoe stretched continuously, forming three connected shapes like small scythes!

Mirajane watched Qian Guang's transformation through tear-filled eyes. Spiral-like ripples appeared in the space before him, and in the next instant, Qian Guang embraced her.

"I'm here. Sorry for making you wait so long."

Mirajane used the last of her strength to hug him. "Aahhh... Why did you come, bastard! Idiot! Fool! You never listen!... Why did you come?"

Holding her, Qian Guang stroked her white hair, which had lost its luster from battle. He treated it as gently as though it were a precious treasure, whispering softly into her ear:

"Because you're here. You can't sneak away, you know. I'm going to cling to you for the rest of my life."