Was I Too Late?

Hearing Mira's words, Lisanna immediately let go and walked toward Elfman in his Beast King form. "Brother Elfman, I'm your sister Lisanna, and this is Sister Mira. How could you not recognize us?"

As Lisanna let go, Mira collapsed onto the ground. She watched her sister walk toward Elfman in terror and cried anxiously, "Lisanna! What are you doing?! Elfman has no consciousness right now!"

"He won't. I believe Brother Elfman would never hurt me, right?" After saying that to Mira, Lisanna turned back to Elfman. "Come on, Brother Elfman. Let's go home."

Mira anxiously tried to get up, but her injuries would not allow it. As she fell again, something dug into her lower back. Reaching for it, she discovered the Kunai Ed had given her.

"That's right, Ed said that as long as I put magic power into it, he'll come. Ed wouldn't lie to me." Like a drowning person clutching at a lifeline, Mira quickly poured what little magic power she had left into the Kunai.

"Hurry... please... Ed..." Suddenly, Mira's eyes widened as Elfman raised his arm high and swung it heavily at Lisanna in front of him. A fierce sound of tearing air rang out, and despair coiled around Mira's heart.

The consumption of magic power made her vision go dark, and she could only let out a desperate cry. "Lisanna!!"

As Elfman swung his arm, he whipped up a violent gale that forced Mira to close her eyes.

When she opened them again, Elfman's arm had already swept through the spot where Lisanna had been standing, and Lisanna was nowhere to be seen.

Mira was completely stunned when a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"Was I too late?" Mira turned around excitedly. Ed had appeared beside her in a half-kneeling position, holding the dazed Lisanna in his arms.

"Ed!" Overwhelmed by the sudden swing from joy to grief, Mira fainted on the spot.

"Lisanna, are you okay? What's going on? Where's Elfman?" Ed swiftly pulled out several Kunai and threw them around the area. Then he moved Lisanna and Mira to a safe location, began checking Mira's injuries, and asked Lisanna about the situation.

Still somewhat dazed from surviving the ordeal, Lisanna said, "While Sister Mira was fighting the Beast King, I went to evacuate the residents, so I don't know the details. Sister Mira said that Brother Elfman forcibly Took Over the Beast King to protect her. Then I wanted to wake him up, and after that... what just happened."

Ed recalled arriving through teleportation just in time to see Lisanna about to be attacked by a magical beast. Without time to speak, he had immediately used Flying Thunder God to reach her side and bring her back to Mira. "So... the one who attacked you just now was Elfman?" Ed was stunned.

"Sister Mira said that if we don't wake him up, Brother Elfman will be devoured by the Beast King..." Lisanna grew sad as she spoke. "Brother Ed, please save Brother Elfman."

"Yeah, I understand. Don't worry." Ed looked at Elfman, who was still advancing toward them, then at the faintly golden patterns on his body. "To beat Mira up this badly, even if he's her little brother, he needs to be taught a proper lesson. But is the Beast King really that strong? Well, isn't this perfect... I feel ridiculously strong right now."

Ed placed Mira and Lisanna safely behind him, then pulled out a Flying Thunder God Kunai and gripped it in reverse. Looking at Elfman, he said, "This might hurt a little, but I'll hold back. You'd better endure it. Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Before his words had even faded, he opened his mouth and spat out several Fireballs toward Elfman.

Boom!

The orange Fireballs struck Elfman's body and exploded violently. The powerful blasts and flames left deep wounds across Elfman's body. The intense burning and pain stimulated him once more, and he let out another roar before charging straight at Ed without regard for his injuries.

"That still didn't wake you up? You really are thick-skinned... But since you're charging straight at me, don't blame me. Heaven-Shaking Kick!" Ed leaped into the air and delivered a powerful downward kick.

Elfman had no reason left at all. Rather than dodge, he swung a claw at Ed, trying to knock him out of the air.

Foot and claw collided, and tremendous force erupted from the point of impact. Elfman's swinging arm was crushed by the immense force, producing a sound like breaking bones. With a scream, Elfman's massive body crashed heavily to the ground, which caved in around him as if it had been struck by a meteor.

"Are you awake now, Elfman?" Standing before the Elfman he had knocked to the ground, Ed said in disappointment, "That's enough already. How long are you going to let a mere beast run wild?"

"Roar!... Ed... beat... me..." It seemed that the Heaven-Shaking Kick had allowed Elfman to regain a tiny sliver of consciousness. Amid painful roars, he forced out a few broken words.

"Tch, holding back doesn't seem to be enough. Then don't die on me!" Seeing that his previous attack still had not awakened Elfman, Ed grew irritated and flashed directly in front of him.

He raised his leg to gather strength, then stomped heavily onto the ground. Enormous power erupted beneath Ed's foot, and the tremendous shockwave sent Elfman's huge body involuntarily bouncing into the air.

Ed drew several Flying Thunder God Kunai with both hands and threw them toward Elfman. "Flying Thunder God! Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Howl: Third Style!"

Golden flashes wrapped around Elfman like strands of thread. With each heavy blow, Elfman's cries gradually changed from forceful roars into increasingly weak groans.

Seeing that Elfman was about to lose consciousness, Ed stopped his relentless assault and instead sent him plummeting from the air with a heavy punch.

After crashing heavily into the ground, both Elfman and the Beast King seemed to have completely lost consciousness from the previous attack.

His enormous body glowed as it slowly shrank. Before long, the battered Elfman was completely forced out of his Take Over of the Beast King's Soul.

"Lisanna, can you still stand?" Ed looked at the fallen Elfman and the unconscious Mira, then at Lisanna, whose legs still seemed weak, and felt a headache coming on.

"I can still move." Lisanna shakily rose to her feet and spoke to Ed.

"That's good. Here, take this signal flare and head into town. Find somewhere those two can get treatment and rest. Fire it when you do, and I'll teleport them there."

"I understand. I'll go right away!" Lisanna activated her Take Over Magic once more, transformed into a bird, and flew toward town.

Ed looked at Mira, unconscious and covered in wounds, her brows still tightly furrowed. Heart aching, he held her in his arms. "It's okay now. I'm here. Elfman has calmed down, and Lisanna is safe too."