Did I Come 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 can you not recognize us?"

As Lisanna let go, Mira collapsed to the ground. Watching her sister walk toward Elfman, she cried out anxiously, "Lisanna! What are you doing?! Elfman isn't conscious right now!"

"No, I believe Brother Elfman won't 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 stand, but her injuries would not allow it. As she fell again, something poked her lower back. Reaching over, she discovered it was the kunai Ed had given her.

"That's right, Ed said that as long as I pour magic power into it, he'll come. Ed won't lie to me." Like a drowning person clutching at a lifeline, Mira quickly poured the last tiny trace of her magic power into the kunai.

"Hurry... please... Ed..." Suddenly, Mira's eyes widened as she saw Elfman raise his arm high and swing it heavily at Lisanna standing before him. A sharp Hibiki tore through the air, and despair coiled around Mira's heart.

The drain on her magic power made her vision go dark. With Zero strength, she let out a desperate cry. "Lisanna!!"

As Elfman swung his arm, it whipped up a fierce gust of wind. The wind forced Mira to close her eyes.

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

Mira froze completely. Then, a familiar voice sounded beside her.

"Did I come too late?" Mira turned around excitedly. Ed had appeared beside her on one knee, holding a somewhat dazed Lisanna in his arms.

"Ed!" Overwhelmed by the swing from ecstasy to despair, Mira fainted on the spot.

"Lisanna, are you all right? What happened? Where's Elfman?" Ed swiftly pulled out several kunai and threw them around the area. He then moved Lisanna and Mira to a safe location, began examining Mira's injuries, and asked Lisanna what had happened.

Still dazed from surviving the ordeal, Lisanna spoke. "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 used Take Over Magic to receive the Beast King in order to protect her. Then I wanted to wake him up, and after that... what just happened happened."

Ed recalled that when he had teleported over, he had immediately seen Lisanna about to be attacked by a magical beast. Without time to say anything, he had used Flying Thunder God to reach Lisanna's side and bring her back to Mira. "So... the one who attacked you just now was Elfman?" Ed was somewhat shocked.

"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 patterns on his body emitting a faint golden glow. "To beat Mira this badly, even if he's her little brother, he needs a proper lesson. But the Beast King is this strong? What perfect timing... I feel terrifyingly strong right now."

Ed placed Mira and Lisanna in a safe spot behind him, then drew 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 several Fireball attacks toward Elfman.

Boom!

The orange Fireball attacks struck Elfman's body and exploded violently. The powerful impacts and blazing flames left deep wounds across his body. The intense burning and pain stimulated Elfman once more. He let out another furious roar and charged at Ed without regard for his injuries.

"That still didn't wake you up? You really are tough-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 Zero reason left at all. Rather than dodging, he swung a claw at Ed, trying to knock him from the sky.

Foot and claw collided, and immense force erupted from the point of impact. Elfman's swinging arm was crushed by the tremendous force, making a sound like bones cracking. With a scream, Elfman's huge body slammed heavily into the ground, collapsing it around him as though a meteor had struck.

"Are you awake now, Elfman?" Ed stood before the Elfman he had beaten to the ground and said bitterly, "That's enough. How much longer 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 sliver of reason. Amid pained 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 had failed to wake Elfman, Ed grew irritated and flashed directly in front of him.

He raised his leg and gathered power, then stomped heavily on the ground. Tremendous force burst beneath Ed's foot, and the enormous impact launched Elfman's massive body helplessly into the air.

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

Golden flashes wrapped around Elfman like threads. With every heavy strike, Elfman's cries of pain gradually changed from full-throated screams into weak, breathless groans.

Seeing Elfman nearly lose consciousness, Ed stopped his relentless assault and instead sent him crashing straight into the ground with a heavy punch.

Elfman slammed hard into the earth. Whether it was him or the Beast King, both seemed to have completely lost consciousness from the previous attacks.

Light radiated from his enormous body as it slowly shrank. Soon, Elfman, covered in wounds, was completely forced out of his Beast King's Soul Take Over.

"Lisanna, can you still stand?" Ed looked at Elfman lying on the ground, then at the unconscious Mira nearby, before looking at Lisanna, whose legs still seemed weak. He had a headache.

"I can still move." Lisanna shakily stood up and spoke to Ed.

"That's good. Here's a signal flare. Take it into town and find somewhere those two can receive treatment and rest. Fire it when you do, and I'll teleport them over."

"I understand. I'll set off right away!" Lisanna used Take Over Magic again, transforming into a bird and flying toward town.

Ed looked at Mira, covered in wounds and unconscious, her brow still tightly furrowed. He held her painfully close. "It's all right now. I'm here. Elfman has calmed down, and Lisanna is safe too."