Mira in Danger

Deep in the forest

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

Two people and one beast stood in a tense standoff, while another person lay dazed on the open ground nearby.

"So, Mira, this is what you wanted me to believe... Aaaah!"

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

There was no time to keep moping. He teleported away directly. After all this time, he had finally figured out how to use teleportation properly.

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

Damn! Bang!

Or watched from where he stood, the corners of his mouth curling upward. A spatial gate stood before him as well, and every attack aimed at him had been transferred to Qian Guang.

He had originally thought he could only flee. However, with his younger brother's fate still unknown and the chaotic battle working in his favor, he could stay for now and see whether there was still hope.

Cough, cough.

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

Bastard! Even if you were Mira, I'd still teach you a lesson! Especially since you weren't.

Qian Guang had just been about to settle the score with Or when 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 free-for-all? 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 wrap around himself, at least to block the attack.

Even Or could not understand why things were going so smoothly. Why was this giant bug attacking that brat too?

At that moment, the giant bug was simply thinking that this human had been hit, so this human was the weakest. Eliminate him first!

So evolution could indeed improve intelligence, though perhaps only to a limited extent.

"Hah, I'm really being underestimated, aren't I, you dead bug!"

Qian Guang's Sharingan spun wildly as magic power gradually spilled from him. His aura was utterly terrifying.

"Amaterasu: Twenty-Eight Forms!"

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

"Roar!"

It tried to fly away, but vines surged forward and bound it tightly.

At the critical 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 shell scorched black.

"Tch, Or!... Pfft!"

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

"Damn it!"

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

As Demon Mirajane charged toward him and the dung-yellow bug behind her resentfully swung its scythes, Qian Guang felt his head growing 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 things to preserve 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 stabbed toward Or. A spatial gate opened behind Or and transferred the attack, but Qian Guang had been waiting for exactly that.

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

Or's eyes narrowed!

He wanted to retract his spatial gate and teleport away, but it was too late. Before he could teleport, his chest was cut open, blood instantly pouring out.

"Heh, trying to save someone?"

Qian Guang had seen the arm too, but he was not vile enough to threaten Or with his brother. He only wanted to stop him from fleeing after rescuing his brother. After all, the person buried below was already half-dead even by his senses and posed no threat to him.

"Move!"

Or's expression darkened. He had to hurry; he did not have much magic power left.

"Hah? Or! We're trying to kill each other here!" Qian Guang wanted to laugh. His scarlet eyes stared fixedly at Or, devoid of any amusement, filled only with hatred and coldness.

"Let my brother go. He didn't take part in that incident!" Or knew this could not end peacefully, but he still wanted to try.

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

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

Still, he stared at Or without blinking. The slightest movement from him would be discovered immediately.

... Boom!

"Roar!"

The Xenomorph Demon crashed in while clutching Mirajane, slamming directly into the ruins. Its huge mouth opened, trying to bite Mirajane apart, but Mirajane's claws held it firmly at bay.

Mirajane was also nearly at the end of her strength. After all, this was merely Take Over Magic, not a true demon form. Her own magic power had its limits.

Qian Guang and Or charged over at the same time. After all, that giant bug was crushing two people beneath it.

Rogrand woke from the pain and found himself pinned down tightly, the pressure continuously increasing.

"AAAAAHHH!!!"

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

It did not care what he was trying to do. It only knew that this person belonged to it! No one was allowed near him!

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

"Hehehe, die!"

Mirajane was about to activate her magic when Qian Guang, who had rushed over, interrupted her.

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

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

Elsewhere, the Xenomorph was bewildered when food was suddenly stuffed into its mouth. It instinctively bit down. The taste was pretty good. (￣~￣) Chew!

He instantly became a mosaic.

"No!!!"

Or watched his younger brother get bitten by the demon and turned into a mosaic, instantly collapsing. Ignoring his wounds, he broke through the Xenomorph's tail and teleported before it.

"Realm Severance!"

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

"Roar!"

The Xenomorph failed to evade and instantly lost half its neck. However, Or only managed to reclaim half of his younger brother. 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, the brother who respected him, had become like this.

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

Or felt that his life had become dark. What meaning was there in anything he did 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 no longer had any bonds.

He was not obsessed with power, nor did he seek strength. All he cared about were his younger brothers. He liked wealth and brutality only because his childhood had been too miserable, and he wanted to vent and indulge himself, to give his brothers something better.

Now, there was nothing left. He could escape, and no one could stop him, but none of it mattered anymore.

Or's body began to expand continuously, and an enormous suction force emerged from within him.

"Roar!"

The Xenomorph Demon closest to him roared continuously as it tried to escape, but its wings could not break free. It plunged its twin scythes into the ground to keep from being sucked in.

Or stared at the three culprits before him with hatred in his eyes. "Come on, let's all go together!"

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

Qian Guang felt overwhelming terror. He would die! If he was sucked in, he would definitely die!

He wanted to pull Mirajane away, but Mirajane was already near the Xenomorph. Moreover, her demon form had been released!

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

Feeling her exhausted body, Mirajane gave a bitter smile. She had remained conscious while being controlled, and she knew what she had done. She really had been reckless.

But it seemed she had caused him a great deal of trouble too. Most of the wounds on his body had probably been inflicted by her.

Qian Guang was really pathetic. He could have just subdued her, yet he had stubbornly refused to fight back.

But then, your revenge has been fulfilled, right? Still, I'm sorry. I didn't keep my promise.

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

"Mira!" Seeing the miserable smile on Mira's face, Qian Guang no longer maintained his body. Not only that, he accelerated toward Mira.

"ROAR!!!"

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

Mira watched Qian Guang rapidly approaching her, tears streaming down her face in panic. "Go! Get lost! I don't need you! Get out of here, you bastard!"

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

Qian Guang's Sharingan spun madly, as though responding to its master's feelings!

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

The three tomoe stretched outward, forming three connected shapes like tiny scythes!

Through tear-filled eyes, Mirajane watched Qian Guang change. Ripple-like distortions appeared in the space before him, and in the next instant, Qian Guang held her in his arms.

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

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

Holding her, Qian Guang gently stroked her white hair, now dull from battle, as though handling a precious treasure. He murmured softly into her ear:

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