After the miasma dissipated, Ur could see the members of the Beast Apostles, and they, in turn, could see him. Those who had been trying to subdue the giant beast froze when they noticed Ur and Sia's corpse.
Clearly, the situation was slipping from their control. But they quickly recovered.
A man who seemed to be the leader barked coldly at another with a slicked-back hairstyle. "Rei, deal with that guy. Our plan cannot have a single flaw!"
"Yes, sir!" The slick-haired man immediately broke away from the giant beast's battlefield and charged toward Ur.
Even before arriving, he launched an attack.
Whoosh!
A black chain sliced through the air, striking like a venomous snake in an instant.
"Hey, hey, hey… no need to rush! You do your thing, I'm just standing here watching, okay?" Ur muttered, snatching Levy and stepping back at lightning speed.
At the same time, he thrust his right hand forward.
Lower-Tier Earth Magic, Rock Wall!
Boom!
A deep yellow magic circle blazed beneath him. In a flash, a two-meter-high rock wall erupted from the ground, forming a barrier between Ur and the incoming attack.
But the black chain seemed almost sentient. It hesitated for only a split second before weaving around the wall, continuing its assault on Ur.
Ur's eyes narrowed. He drew his sword in a single fluid motion and slashed at the chain.
Clang!
The blade rebounded, while the chain paused briefly before wrapping around him again.
"What a troublesome magic!" Ur frowned.
Clearly, this was no ordinary spell. Special magic always carried one trait: extreme power. Its strength was obvious, but so were its weaknesses.
Mid-Tier Fire Magic, Exploding Flame!
A crimson magic circle shimmered across his chest. In an instant, a massive fireball surged from it, racing toward the slick-haired attacker.
"Useless…" The man's lips curled in a mocking smirk.
"My magic is called Binding. Anything with magical power caught by my chains is doomed to destruction."
Rattle, rattle!
The chains instantly returned, ensnaring Ur's fireball. In the blink of an eye, the massive fireball was extinguished.
Ur gently set Levy down. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Is that so? Everything with magic is doomed? Let's see about the next spell…"
Upper-Tier Earth Magic, Rock Claw!
Ur clenched his palm toward the attacker. Beneath his feet, a massive magic circle materialized.
The slick-haired man's heart skipped a beat. Although his magic could bind magic itself, it had limits. Even before the spell manifested, he felt an enormous threat.
"Damn it…" His face twisted, eyes bloodshot as he bellowed in rage.
"Binding, Magical Prison!"
A surge of power erupted from him. The black chains extended tens of meters, wrapping around him layer upon layer, forming a massive cage of unbreakable links. But as the cage solidified, a gigantic claw of rock shot up from Ur's magic circle, crushing the chains in its palm.
This was Ur's only Upper-Tier Magic. Upper-tier magic was far more difficult than lower-tier magic. If not for his Earth Affinity reaching A-Class, Ur could never have mastered this magic in just a month. Yet the difficulty was worth it—the power of an upper-tier magic far outstripped that of a lower one.
Unlike the innocent youths of Fairy Tail, Ur did not fight by ideals of fairness. He believed in doing whatever it took—showing mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself.
Once the Earth Claw trapped the slick-haired man, Ur charged forward immediately, sword crackling with magic, ready to deliver the final blow.
But just as he reached the prison, a bolt of bright blue lightning streaked from the rear.
Ur froze.
"Hey, Rei, how long are you going to dawdle? The target's captured—we need to retreat!" The voice came from behind him. Ur's heart skipped a beat, and he spun around.
At first, he thought they had captured the demon beast—then his plan might be compromised.
But when Ur looked, the demon beast still roared on the beach, untamed. The Beast Apostles had quietly withdrawn, ignoring the monster entirely.
Ur muttered under his breath. "I… you call that 'captured'? You guys aren't—wait a second!"
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He focused on the leader of the Beast Apostles, who was holding a strange jellyfish-like creature that was struggling in his hands.
'Could it be… the creature was their real target all along?' Ur's mind raced.
He recalled the semi-formed monsters in the sea earlier, whose behavior had been strangely unnatural, as if controlled by something.
'Could it be that that creature is controlling this demon?'
Bang!