"What kind of magic is that…?"
Erza Scarlet stared ahead in disbelief.
Just moments ago, the island beneath their feet had collapsed inward, shrinking to barely five meters in size—no bigger than a massive boulder.
And then, in the blink of an eye, it returned to its original form… with a woman standing casually right in front of them.
They had just concluded the enemy couldn't possibly catch up.
And yet—here she was.
"…Seriously," Erza muttered, her brows knitting together. "I'm starting to question reality."
The scale of it was absurd. Compressing an entire island and restoring it like it was nothing more than clay in her hands—no matter how many battles Erza had fought, this was beyond exaggerated.
"That's Command T," Rain said calmly, watching Brandish with interest.
Erza glanced at him.
"It's a type of mass-manipulation magic," he continued. "As long as the user's magic power is sufficient, they can freely alter the size, structure, and scale of any object."
Rain's eyes narrowed slightly.
"She compressed the entire island down to stone-sized mass, pulled us directly to her position… then restored everything instantly."
"…So that's how she did it," Erza said, finally exhaling.
Understanding the magic made it less terrifying—but no less dangerous.
In battle, knowing how an enemy's power worked could mean the difference between life and death.
On the other side, Brandish μ tilted her head, visibly surprised.
"Oh? You figured all that out just by looking?" she said lazily. "That's impressive."
Rain smiled faintly.
"Pure coincidence. I happen to use a similar type of magic myself."
"…Oh?"
That got Brandish's attention.
Her previously languid gaze sharpened, a flicker of interest sparking behind her eyes. Users of rare magic weren't common—especially ones strong enough to stand confidently in front of her.
Most Command-type users she'd seen in the Alvarez Empire were mediocre at best.
Rain clearly wasn't.
"…Now that is interesting," Brandish said, straightening slightly. "You're not from the Empire, are you?"
Though it was a question, her tone left no room for doubt.
Erza stepped forward instantly, armor shifting in a flash of light.
"So you noticed," she said coolly, gripping her sword. "Then we can't let you walk away from this."
Brandish glanced at Erza.
Just one look—and she lost interest.
"…You?" Brandish sighed. "You're decent. But not nearly enough to matter."
Erza's eyes flashed.
"Don't look down on me!"
"Hades."
With a sharp cry, Erza swung her Demon Blade, a scorching arc of magic tearing through the air toward Brandish.
"Oh?"
Brandish's eyes widened—just a little.
She hadn't expected that much output.
But only for a moment.
"…Still not enough."
She tapped her foot lightly.
Magic surged.
The ground beneath her warped instantly, swelling upward and hardening into a massive earthen shield.
BOOM—!!
Erza's slash collided with it, carving deep gouges before finally losing momentum and dispersing.
Before Erza could react—
The world darkened.
"…What—?!"
Brandish's figure ballooned upward, her body expanding to colossal proportions as her shadow swallowed the battlefield.
The next second, a massive foot came crashing down.
Erza leapt back just in time, barely avoiding being crushed.
But—
"Got you."
A giant hand closed around her midair.
"—Tch!"
Before Erza could resist, magic twisted violently around her.
Her body shrank—compressed, condensed—until she was no larger than the palm of a hand.
Brandish returned to her normal size, peering down at the tiny Erza with a lazy grin.
"…Well? Feeling humbled yet?"
She then glanced sideways.
Rain hadn't moved.
Not even a step.
"…You're awfully calm," Brandish noted. "I just turned your companion into a toy, you know."
Rain met her gaze evenly.
"I don't sense any killing intent from you," he replied.
"And if that changes—" his eyes sharpened, confidence undeniable, "—I'm certain I'd have more than enough time to stop you."
"…Confident," Brandish muttered, amused.
After a moment, she flicked her wrist and tossed miniature Erza toward him.
Rain caught her easily.
Instead of restoring Erza immediately, he paused… then gently slipped her into the inner pocket near his chest.
"…?"
"…??"
Both Erza and Brandish froze.
Rain… used similar magic.
So why—
"Rain?" Erza's tiny voice rang out, flustered. "Why didn't you change me back?"
Rain looked down at her, expression serious.
"Because like this," he said evenly, "I have enough motivation to win."
"…!"
Erza's face flushed crimson.
C-Close? Motivation?
What exactly was he implying?!
Her thoughts spiraled wildly.
Brandish stared for a second… then groaned.
"…Ugh. I suddenly feel full."
She crossed her arms in irritation.
"That nauseating sweet atmosphere—seriously."
Then she pointed straight at Rain.
"Enough already. Put her back later."
Her smile sharpened.
"Now hurry up and fight me."
PS: Unfortunately for all of you…
Bad news.
(Just kidding… mostly.)
I started another Naruto story.
Title: Naruto: Breaking The Limiter
The MC is Yujiro.
He breaks his limiter, gains increasingly illegal abilities, and eventually turns the Naruto world into his personal gym.
Anyway, give it a try and feel it yourself.
Tagged below 👇