Beast Tide Surges

"Captain Gries, the alarm has been sounded. What should we do?"

The magical beasts that had just retreated had allowed everyone guarding the city walls to breathe a sigh of relief. But before long, the beast tide came again, this time with even more powerful creatures. Every beast had crimson eyes that sent chills down people's spines.

"Wait. Lord Ye said he would return. We have to believe in them."

Suddenly, a bright point flashed across the sky, its light growing larger and larger.

Whoosh~~~~! It plummeted to the ground. Moments later, a huge mushroom cloud rose from the earth, and the shockwave from the explosion swept over them in an instant.

"Ah!! What was that?!"

The soldiers on the city wall were scattered in all directions by the incoming shockwave.

Gries steadied his helmet and saw an enormous crater in the distance, surrounded by the remains of magical beasts.

"What is going on?!"

Just then, Ye's voice rang out.

"Captain Gries, retreat quickly. The next battle isn't something we can take part in."

"Lord Ye, what happened?"

Ye said gravely, "There's no time to explain. Ye bought time for everyone. Get out of here quickly. Before long, this place will become ruins."

Gries said in horror, "What?! Is my homeland really going to be destroyed like this?!"

Ye said seriously, "As long as you're alive, your home can be rebuilt. Hurry. I'm afraid something might happen if we're too late."

Gries and the soldiers suppressed their unwillingness and followed Ye down from the city wall, heading into the distance.

After unleashing this Kamehameha from the sky, Ye slowly descended to the ground.

"That was really exhausting. That one attack drained a fifth of my ki. This should buy them quite a bit of time."

"Next, I should be facing their main force. This is really getting my blood boiling." Ye's eyes gradually turned bloodthirsty.

After Ye reunited with Jura—

"Mr. Jura, did you notify the Magic Council?"

"I already informed them. They said they would immediately contact the major wizard guilds and send reinforcements. They told us to hold our ground."

"Hold our ground!? Just the few of us?"

"For now, we can only trust Lord Ye. I'll stay here and stop any magical beasts that slip through. You should take them to the shelter."

Ye looked at Jura. "No, I have to stay and help too!"

"No. You need to escort them. If something happens to them, there will be no point in us holding this place."

Ye looked at the resolute Jura. "All right. Take these. This is Power Scent and Healing Scent. I think they'll be useful to you."

Ye then led the soldiers toward the shelter.

At Ye's location, six magical beasts at the level of the Ten Wizard Saints, along with a group of high-level magical beasts, arrived. Ye looked at the beasts before him. "The real one still hasn't shown up? That's a little too much disrespect, isn't it?"

In an instant, Ye released Conqueror's Haki.

Bzz~ Bzz~ Bzz~!!!!

Yet the magical beasts did not collapse unconscious.

Ye said in confusion, "What's going on? It isn't working?"

Ye stared gravely at the creatures ahead and found their expressions far too vicious. They looked completely fearless of death.

"Is this the Forest Lord's magic? It really makes no sense. Group berserk mode... This is going to be troublesome."

Suddenly, a roar came from deep within the forest. As it echoed out, the magical beasts became even more violent and lunged madly at Ye.

"Armament!"

With a single uppercut, Ye smashed apart a magical beast's head. Then he leaped into the air, Armament Haki gathering around his leg.

"Heaven-Guard Kick!!"

The instant his foot struck the ground, the earth split apart and rocks erupted upward. No living thing remained within thirty meters, but the magical beasts did not stop attacking. They continued lunging forward. There were simply too many of them, and Ye was quickly surrounded while the rest charged onward.

"Wonderful! Wonderful! It's been so long since I've fought like this. Beasts, it's time to remind you of the strength of your true master."

Ye used Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki coating as though they cost him nothing. Not a single beast around him could withstand even one exchange. Before they could touch Ye, they were wiped out completely.

No one knew how long the slaughter continued. Before Ye realized it, several wounds had appeared on his body.

Ye panted heavily. "These beasts really never end. This beast tide has at least three hundred thousand creatures. I wonder how Jura's side is doing."

"Cliff Hammer! Iron Rock Pillar!"

"Don't even think about getting past me!"

"Rumbling Gehenna!"

"Damn it, there really are too many of them!"

When Makarov in Magnolia Town received the Magic Council's message, it was already the next morning. The moment he saw the intelligence report in his hand, he was shocked and instinctively thought of Ye's safety.

"Damn it! Those useless bastards at the Magic Council are only sending the information now?" The pressure of one of the Ten Wizard Saints instantly swept across the entire town.

Makarov raised his magic power. "All guild wizards ranked B-class and above, assemble!!!!!!"

After sensing the guild master's magic power and hearing his summons, everyone hurried to the front of the guild without delay.

"My children, I've just received a report from the Magic Council. Members of a dark guild appeared in the Great Forest of Monsters, causing the forest's magical beasts to run wild and greatly increasing the scale of the beast tide. It is estimated to number three hundred thousand. That brat Ye is over there. The information came too late—I'm afraid his chances of survival are slim."

When everyone in the guild heard that Ye's fate was unknown, anger and worry filled their faces.

Mirajane cried anxiously, "Grandpa, then what are we waiting for? We need to go reinforce him!"

"But this mission is exceptionally dangerous. Therefore, I've decided that only B-class wizards and above will accompany me to rescue Ye."

The guild members below B-class protested, "No! We're going too! How can we watch a companion fall into danger and do nothing to save him?!"

At that moment, Erza stepped forward. "Everyone, the guild master is right. It's too dangerous, and time is pressing. We need to leave immediately."

"But—!"

Makarov shouted angrily, "Enough!! I understand how you feel, but I can't take you with me to die. You are all my children. Wait for us at the guild, and when we return, we'll celebrate together."

Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and the others lowered their heads in disappointment, hating themselves for being so weak.

Not long after Makarov's group set off, a shout came from the sky.

"Everyone from Fairy Tail!!"

Makarov and the others looked up to see Ye piloting Christina overhead and calling out to them.

"It's Pegasus's Christina!"

After everyone boarded Christina, they asked Ye about the situation over there.

Ye looked dejected. "It's not looking good. Only Jura and Ye are holding the line over there. Jura is all right—he's guarding the rear passage and dealing with the magical beasts that slipped through. But Ye..."

Mirajane snapped angrily, "What happened to Ye? Speak already!!!!"

Mirajane grabbed Ye by the collar as he slowly said, "Lord Ye... is fighting alone at the very front of the beast tide."

After hearing Ye's words, Mirajane seemed to lose her soul and loosened her grip. The atmosphere inside the craft became unbearably heavy. No one spoke, all praying that Ye would safely hold on until they arrived.

The first ray of morning sunlight shone down upon Ye and the mountain of corpses beneath him. Numb from slaughter, Ye stood silently atop the pile. He had just killed the last magical beast. Unprecedented exhaustion flooded his body, but then a faint tremor came from the ground. Ye numbly raised his head and saw a massive wolf over ten meters tall, covered in silver-white fur, standing before him.

Ye looked at the creature before him and slowly said, "You... are... the Forest Lord... Glingfins."

Glingfins glared viciously at the boy. "You carry my child's scent. You were the ones who abducted my child. You all deserve to die!!!! Die!!!"

The moment Glingfins smelled his child's scent on Ye, he completely went berserk. The magically enhanced rage robbed him entirely of reason. In an instant, he appeared before Ye and slammed into him with all his strength.

The massive drain on his ki had left Ye abnormally exhausted. He had no time to react before the Forest Lord rammed him head-on. Before the flying Ye could land, Glingfins swiped at him with a claw. The impact snapped Ye back to his senses. He crossed his arms and coated his entire body in Armament Haki, but the blow smashed him into the ground. Glingfins leaped up, gathering wind blades in his mouth, and fired them at Ye in the crater. After landing, Glingfins gathered energy in his mouth again. A small white sphere formed and shot toward Ye.

Ye sensed a powerful energy rushing toward him and hurriedly rose. He condensed Armament Haki around his hands and used both arms to block the incoming energy sphere. For a time, the two forces remained locked in a stalemate.

Suddenly, Ye supported the energy sphere with one hand, lowered his body slightly, and launched an uppercut, knocking it into the sky. The sphere exploded in midair, and the scattered energy blasted away the clouds overhead.

Ye panted heavily.

"Hah~~ Hah~ Hoo~~! This is really more pathetic than ever. If the guild saw me like this, they'd definitely laugh and say I'm so lame."

Ye suddenly felt the panel tremble slightly and looked at it before him.

"It came at just the right time."

"Come on, Glingfins. Let's begin the final round."

Glingfins did not hear Ye at all. He only saw the human before him steadily growing stronger. Instinctive fear slowly began to rise within him, and his intuition told him that if he did not kill this enemy now, he would be the one to die.

Ye coated himself in Armament Haki and charged toward Glingfins. His knee slammed into Glingfins's jaw. Glingfins felt his brain shaking violently as dizziness struck him in an instant. He shook his head and regained his senses, only to find that the human had vanished. His beastly instincts told him to leave this place. Glingfins dodged to the side, just as a figure crashed down where he had stood and shattered the ground.

"You dodged that? What terrifying instincts. Did that blow just now bring you back to your senses?"

Glingfins watched the small figure before him warily. Before long, the evil within him once again swept over his mind.

Ye looked at the Forest Lord, who had returned to his earlier state, and sighed. "Still no good? That magic really is terrifying. Looks like you have no chance of regaining your senses. I'm sorry, Glingfins. I can only kill you."

As he spoke, Ye slowly activated Demon Back, combining Conqueror's Haki with demonic aura and coating his hands with it. Glingfins seemed to understand that this was the end. He immediately gathered all the energy in his body. His silver-white fur stood on end, and a horn slowly grew from the center of his forehead. All his power gathered at that horn as he charged at Ye.

After gathering his energy, Ye rushed toward Glingfins. They met in an instant. Glingfins drove his horn at Ye, while Ye twisted his body and threw a full-force punch!

"Ghostly Wail!!!!"

The horn and fist collided without actually touching. Black lightning erupted between them. Glingfins could not hold out for long before being overwhelmed. The powerful strike drove Glingfins's head straight into the ground, which could not withstand the blow and caved inward.

Smoke filled the air. Through the haze, a figure slowly rose and looked at the dying Forest Lord before him.

Ye slowly said, "Your child is still alive. I'll take good care of him for you."

Glingfins seemed to hear Ye's words. He slowly closed his eyes and left this world.

"Ah! I'm so tired. I really want to sleep."

Ye's body swayed unsteadily, as though he might collapse at any moment. His eyes grew increasingly weary, and vaguely, he seemed to hear someone calling for him.

"Ye!!!! Ye!!!! Where are you?! You brat! Where are you?!"

"Over here! Ye is over here!! Here!!"

Just then, Makarov's group arrived at the count's territory and found a group of magical beasts besieging a large rock.

"Giant Magic!"

Makarov transformed into a giant as large as a small mountain and killed the magical beasts in just a few blows. The creatures seemed to suddenly lose some kind of connection and regained their senses. The moment they did, they sensed the danger around them and scattered in all directions.

Jura, inside the rock, heard people outside and realized reinforcements had arrived. He immediately removed his magic and saw Guild Master Makarov.

"You must be Guild Master Makarov. I am Jura Rekis of Lamia Scale."

Mirajane cried urgently, "Where is Ye? Where is Ye?!"

Jura said, "Lord Ye should be ahead. A very powerful magic power appeared in front of us earlier, but it vanished just now. I believe Lord Ye's battle has ended, so I don't know what his current condition is."

After hearing Jura's words, Mira ran quickly in Ye's direction. Erza, Laxus, and the others followed her toward the front.

But when they arrived, they found corpses covering the ground. Severed limbs lay everywhere, and streams of blood flowed across the land. They could not accept the scene before them. Terror filled their eyes, and they could not imagine what Ye had endured.

They immediately began calling Ye's name everywhere, but the only response was the desolate wind and the low groans of magical beasts.

At last, they saw an enormous crater ahead, with faint smoke still rising from within it. A human silhouette could vaguely be seen through the smoke.

Mira shouted, "Here!! Here!!! Ye is here!!" Then she ran toward Ye without a second thought.

When she drew closer, she saw a strong body trembling and swaying, yet still refusing to fall. Tears slowly streamed down Mira's face as she covered her mouth tightly with one hand. Seeing that the man she loved was still alive, the worry in her heart finally eased.

"I'm so tired. Why am I this tired? I really can't keep my eyes open."

"Ye!!!! Ye!!!!"

Hearing someone call his name, Ye slowly opened his eyes and looked ahead. He saw a white-haired girl running toward him, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"You... came..."

After saying that, Ye finally could not hold on any longer and fell. The girl reached his side at that moment. Ye lay in her arms, gradually losing consciousness.