Bang!
Just as Ur's thoughts were racing over that strange creature, an explosion erupted nearby.
"Damn it. You'll pay for this! I'll get my revenge sooner or later!"
Having broken free from Rock Claw, the slick-haired man spat out a curse and dashed toward the other Beast Apostles.
Rock Claw could only restrain him temporarily. After all, his magic had a natural counter to ordinary spells. Ur had managed to trap him for a few seconds only because his own magic was just that much stronger.
With Ur's current power, though not unmatched in Fiore, few in a small to mid-sized guild could stand against him. With magic equivalent to an A-Class mage, combined with superior mental strength and physical attributes far beyond the norm, Ur's combat ability was far more than it appeared.
Not every guild in this world boasted members as strong as Fairy Tail. Among these Beast Apostles, Ur had yet to spot a single S-Class mage.
"Sooner or later, huh?" Ur smirked cruelly as he watched the man retreat. "No need to wait. I can settle this score right now." Whispering under his breath, Ur planted his feet and surged after the fleeing mage.
When it came to enemies, Ur never allowed them to escape. Besides, he wasn't entirely alone.
Ur's body, possessing more than double the physical prowess of a normal human, propelled him forward at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the slick-haired man.
"Rei, watch out behind you!"
The Beast Apostles were startled by Ur's sudden burst of speed. The mage who had just unleashed lightning urgently warned his comrade.
Hearing this, the slick-haired man instinctively glanced back. The sight froze his blood. There, directly behind him, was Ur's face, demonic, terrifying, and the gleaming sword descending toward him.
"Damn you! I'll fight to the death!" Realizing he could no longer evade Ur, the man panicked. He swung the black chains back like venomous snakes, aiming straight for Ur.
Calmly, Ur responded with a spell of his own.
Low-Tier Fire Magic, Dance of the Fire Serpents!
Three flaming serpents shot forth from his magic circle, meeting the black chains head-on. But the moment they touched, the fire serpents began to dissipate rapidly.
"Hmph. Haven't you figured it out? My Binding magic devours any entity with magical energy. A few flames are no threat to me." The chains writhed, consuming two of the serpents almost instantly.
Yet Ur remained calm. "I understand. Not only do I know ordinary magic attacks are ineffective, but I also know that at one time, you can only control a single chain and attack only one target."
Whoosh!
As he finished speaking, Ur's figure leapt in front of the slick-haired man. The man's pupils dilated. For the first time, fear and panic flooded his mind. He tried to retreat—but it was too late.
Slash!
A massive gash tore across his chest, blood spraying into the air. "You…" The man's eyes widened in disbelief at Ur, trying to speak, but only managed a single word before collapsing.
Feeling the surge of magical energy flow into his body, Ur allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
Since awakening the Evil Equilibrium ability, Ur instinctively infused a trace of his magic into any opponent he killed, triggering the passive effect.
"Rei! Bastard, I'll kill you!" From attack to death, barely a few seconds had passed.
The other Beast Apostles hadn't expected Ur to wipe out a member of their guild so quickly. Shock and disbelief painted their faces as they processed the loss. Especially the lightning mage—seeing his comrade killed by Ur, his fury ignited.
He roared, ready to retaliate.
But before he could act, the leader shouted. "Disa, stand down! We need to retreat. The Royal Army is approaching. We cannot linger here."
"Retreat? What about that guy?" Disar glared at Ur, rage and frustration in his eyes.
The leader gave a measured look at the enemy, who had already killed two of their members in moments. "Fall back for now. Once our plan succeeds, we'll come back for Rei and Sia's revenge."
With that, he led the others away.
Disa shot Ur one last furious glare. "You bastard… just wait!" He, too, disappeared into the distance.
Meanwhile, just as the Beast Apostles left, from afar, the sound of approaching footsteps reverberated across the beach.