Chapter 272: The Five vs. Jose
Suddenly, a chill ran down everyone's spine.
"What?!"
"What is this feeling?"
"This is... the aura of death..."
"Man! A MAN shouldn't be shivering like this!"
Elfman, Natsu, and Gray, being weaker than the S-Class wizards, broke out in a cold sweat.
"The air is thick with malice..." Ultear said, her guard instantly up.
Clap... clap... clap...
Slow applause echoed from the doorway, followed by a smooth, mocking voice.
"My, my... Well done, wizards of Fairy Tail."
They spun around to see Jose Porla standing there, clapping slowly, a wide, sinister grin on his face. Waves of terrifying magic power radiated from him.
"I have to say, I didn't expect to be entertained quite this much. You destroyed Jupiter, wiped out the Element 4, and even stopped my giant. Impressive."
"Guild Master Jose!" Ultear said grimly.
"So that's him..."
"The Master of Phantom Lord..."
Elfman and Gray stared at him.
"You bastard!" Natsu roared. Hearing Ultear's confirmation, he couldn't hold back his anger. This was the scumbag who tried to kidnap Lucy. If they hadn't been prepared, she would have suffered immensely. He charged forward.
"Calm down, Natsu. You're no match for him right now."
Mirajane, sharper than before, grabbed Natsu and held him back, her eyes locked on Jose.
"Such evil magic," Sorano said, her face twisted in disgust. "Just standing near him makes me want to vomit."
"Indeed. Even a demon's magic might not be this foul," Mirajane agreed.
"How did someone like this become the master of a legal guild?" Cana asked bluntly.
"Don't underestimate him," Ultear warned. "His character may be rot, but his strength is real."
Their comments made Jose's face darken, and his smile vanished.
"Hmph. Since you've entertained me so well, it would be rude not to return the favor. I will repay you... heavily. Make sure you accept my gift."
Mirajane and Ultear held back Elfman and Gray, while Erza restrained the still-furious Natsu.
"I was just thinking that beating up grunts wasn't satisfying enough," Cana said, pulling out her cards. Her expression was deadly serious. "Testing myself against the Master of Phantom Lord sounds perfect."
"Agreed. He'll make a fine opponent," Ultear said, cold mist beginning to swirl around her. Gray instinctively stepped back.
"Be careful. He holds the title of Wizard Saint, just like the Master," Erza said, instantly requipping into her Black-Wing Armor. She crouched low, swords ready.
"Of course. We won't underestimate him," Sorano said, summoning her angel.
"We'll pay him back for everything he's done," Mirajane said, activating her Satan Soul. The immense pressure radiating from her forced Elfman to back away.
Natsu wanted to join in, but Happy grabbed his scarf and pulled him back. Natsu knew he wasn't ready for this fight yet. With five S-Class wizards taking the lead, he had to stand down and watch.
"Heh heh heh... HAHAHAHA! Five of you want to fight me? You truly don't know the meaning of the word 'impossible'!"
Jose laughed maniacally, his magic power surging even higher. He raised his right hand, gathering dark energy.
With a casual wave, a series of explosions erupted around Ultear's group.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Smoke filled the air, but was quickly blown away.
"Oh?"
A wall of ice stood where the explosions had hit, protecting the group. A trench had been blasted in the floor in front of it.
"He's strong. Be careful," Ultear said as the ice wall dissolved.
"The Sun's Inferno!"
Cana swiped a card, and a pillar of fire roared toward Jose.
"Hmph!" Jose thrust his left hand, firing a shockwave of darkness that collided with the fire.
BOOM!
The explosion created a smokescreen. Two figures burst through it, charging straight for Jose.
Erza and Mirajane attacked from the left and right, sword and claws flashing. But Jose was fast. He dodged their barrage with ease, weaving through their attacks.
"!!!"
Seeing an opening, Jose grabbed both of their wrists. He tried to smash them together, but they simultaneously kicked out at him. He was forced to release them and throw them back.
As they flew back, Sorano's Angel of Strength rushed in, throwing a massive punch. Jose backstepped twice, dodging the blow.
CRASH!
The angel's fist slammed into the floor, shattering the stone and sending shrapnel flying at Jose. He stepped back again to avoid the debris.
Suddenly, dozens of ice eagles swarmed him from above.
This time, Jose vanished, reappearing several meters away. The eagles missed and circled back for another pass.
"Hmph!"
Jose slapped the air with his right hand. An invisible shockwave obliterated the ice eagles instantly.
Before Ultear and the others could attack again, Jose went on the offensive. He flicked his fingers rapidly, firing invisible bullets of magic at the five women. They leaped away, dodging the barrage.
Stray shots flew toward Gray and the others, forcing them to scramble for cover.
"Natsu, Gray, Elfman! Don't stay here! Go take down the Iron Dragon and the rest of Phantom!" Ultear shouted without looking back, her eyes fixed on Jose.
"Got it!" Natsu yelled.
"Leaving?" Jose's attention shifted to the boys. He pointed a finger, gathering magic at the tip.
"Don't think so! Evil Spark!"
"Angel of Sunlight!"
Mirajane hurled balls of dark magic, and Sorano's angel fired a beam of light. Jose was forced to refocus. He fired his magic bullet at Mirajane's attack.
BOOM!
The collision blew a hole in the ceiling, raining debris down on them. Jose slapped his left hand forward, creating a vortex of magic to intercept Sorano's beam.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the room, cracking the walls.
Using the chaos, Natsu and the others sprinted out the door.
Jose didn't have a moment to breathe. A bolt of lightning tore through the smoke, aiming for his heart. He raised his hand, a magic circle blocking the strike.
CRACK!
Another explosion blinded him with smoke.
"Ice-Make: Great Ape!"
A giant ice ape lunged from the smoke, swinging a massive fist. The wind pressure cleared the air, revealing Jose's savage grin.
"Hah!"
He palm-thrusted, unleashing a shockwave of darkness that shattered the ape instantly.
"Thunder Empress's Spear!"
Erza, now in her Lightning Empress Armor, thrust her spear. A bolt of green lightning shot toward Jose.
Jose blurred, vanishing again. The lightning blasted a hole in the wall where he had stood.
He reappeared in the distance, his smile even more twisted. He waved his hand, and dozens of ghostly, skull-like spirits swarmed toward the five women.
"Watch out!"
Recognizing the danger, Ultear and the others unleashed a barrage of ranged attacks to destroy the spirits before they could get close.
Explosions filled the room. Shockwaves hammered the already weakened walls. Finally, the structure gave way. The ceiling collapsed.
Both sides stopped fighting to avoid being crushed by the falling debris. Dust filled the room, obscuring everything.
When the dust settled, a large section of the roof was gone, letting sunlight stream into the ruined chamber.
Ultear and the others stood on one side, facing Jose.
They were panting slightly. To ensure their attacks could hurt a Wizard Saint, they had put a lot of power into every spell. Between attacking, dodging, and defending, they were beginning to tire.
~~~
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