Chapter 159: The Monster and the Fairy
Whoosh!
With a desperate stomp, Evergreen's boots kicked up dust. She unfurled her delicate, fairy-like wings, pushing her magic into them for maximum speed as she launched into the air, fleeing into the labyrinthine streets of Magnolia.
"Damn it! Damn it all! How did that monster find me so quickly?!"
The moment she had laid eyes on him, every ounce of her arrogant confidence had evaporated, replaced by pure, instinctual terror. The moment she confirmed it was Ren, Evergreen chose the only option she had: flight.
If it had been anyone else—even an S-Class Mage like Erza Scarlet, whose power she respected but also envied—Evergreen would have stood her ground. She would have trusted in her Stone Eyes to secure a swift victory.
But Ren was different. Erza was a human, a powerful one, but still human.
Ren was a monster.
She had been a distant observer during the war with Phantom Lord. She had seen with her own eyes the cataclysmic battle between Ren and Jose Porla, a Guild Master and one of the Ten Wizard Saints. The sheer, overwhelming power that had reduced Jose to a broken wreck was burned into her memory.
No matter how highly she thought of herself, how much she believed in her own unique magic, she knew she was not a match for Ren. Not even close.
So, the smartest choice, the only choice, was to run.
Back in the now-silent street, Ren's attention was fixed on the fallen man at his feet.
"Ren... you must... save... my sister..." Elfman's voice was a ragged whisper. He clung to his last sliver of consciousness, his large body trembling. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, cutting paths through the grime on his face. His gaze was locked on Ren, filled with desperation and a fragile thread of hope.
Ren knelt beside him, his expression softening from the cold focus of the hunt. He placed a reassuring hand on Elfman's shoulder, offering a calm smile.
"Don't worry, Elfman," Ren said, his voice steady and confident. "Mira will be back to normal very soon. I promise."
Hearing Ren's words, the immense tension holding Elfman together finally snapped. The last of his strength gave out, and with a shuddering sigh of relief, he finally fainted.
Ren stood and turned to the small crowd of bystanders who had watched the encounter from a "safe" distance, their faces a mix of awe, fear, and confusion.
"Everyone, I'm sorry for the disturbance," Ren said, his voice carrying easily. "Could you please help me? Please take Elfman to the hospital for treatment. He's exhausted himself."
The citizens of Magnolia blinked, pulled from their stupor.
"Ren, is something wrong with Fairy Tail?" one brave shopkeeper asked.
"Yeah, we're seeing members fighting all over town. It's not like the usual brawls!" another added, wringing her hands.
"Can the Fantasia Parade still be held? We were all looking forward to it..."
Many people here were residents of Magnolia. Unlike tourists, they knew Ren. They knew his face, his reputation, and they were aware that he could transform into various, overwhelmingly powerful forms. His presence was, in an odd way, a comfort, even in this chaos.
Ren's smile returned, this time broader, meant to erase their fears. "Don't worry! It's just... a very energetic guild event that got a little out of hand. They're minor issues, and they'll be resolved quickly. The Fantasia Parade will proceed as normal. It'll be better than ever."
"Oh, really! That's good!"
"But they're fighting a bit too fiercely, don't you think?" a woman muttered, glancing at a nearby crater.
"My apologies," Ren said with a slight, almost theatrical bow. "I'll be sure to give them all a good, long lecture when I get back."
"Come on, everyone! You heard Ren!" the shopkeeper rallied. "Let's lend a hand and get this big guy to the hospital!"
Several men hurried forward, carefully lifting Elfman's unconscious form.
"Thank you!" Ren called out to them.
The moment they were focused on their task, Ren's smile vanished. His head snapped in the direction Evergreen had fled. He took a single, simple step.
And instantly vanished.
At this moment, Evergreen had already hidden in a secluded, debris-filled alleyway several blocks away. She leaned against a brick wall, gasping for breath, her wings fluttering anxiously.
"Phew... I think I lost him. This time, that guy won't be able to find..."
"Find who?"
The voice was calm, conversational, and came from directly in front of her.
Evergreen's blood ran cold. She choked on her breath, her eyes widening in disbelief. Not far in front of her, leaning casually against the opposite wall as if he'd been waiting there for hours, was Ren.
"How... How is that possible?!" she shrieked, her carefully constructed composure shattering. "I ran as fast as I could! How could you find me so quickly?!"
"I didn't 'find' you," Ren said, pushing himself off the wall. "Of course, I saw you. The whole time."
"Saw me?! You were busy with Elfman!"
"Yes. Don't think only your eyes are special," Ren explained, his voice patient, as if explaining a simple concept to a child. "My Six Eyes possess 360-degree, long-range vision. I can see behind me just as easily as I can see in front. I could see you hiding in this alley from the street where Elfman fell. You never left my sight."
[Akarin's Note: The Six Eyes is an ability from Jujutsu Kaisen, associated with Ren's Gojo Satoru transformation. It grants the user incredible perception, allowing them to see magic energy in extreme detail and providing 360-degree vision.]
Evergreen heard 'eyes' and it triggered her battle instincts. She suddenly remembered her own trump card: her Eye Magic, Stone Eyes.
She immediately took off her glasses, her magic flaring to life. She glared at Ren, ready to turn him to stone just as she had Mirajane and the others.
But her heart sank. Ren's eyes were completely covered with a simple black cloth, and his hair was spiked upwards. It was the exact, bizarre appearance he'd had during the Phantom Lord war. The form he called Gojo Satoru.
"A good opportunity!" she thought, desperation sparking a new, frantic idea. If his eyes were covered, he couldn't see. He must be lying!
Evergreen immediately flew up, scattering a large amount of golden, glittering powder from her wings. Her magic flooded the narrow alley.
"Fairy Bomb: Pixie!"
The dense cloud of magical scale powder erupted in a series of violent, concussive blasts, completely filling the space between them.
"Haha! Even if your strength is great, your combat power will be greatly reduced if you can't see!" Evergreen cackled, a hysterical edge to her voice. "This is my win! I can win, too!"
A moment of silence passed, the smoke and dust beginning to settle.
Then, Ren's voice drifted calmly from the center of the smoke: "Don't always get so happy prematurely. You sound like a villain in a cheap play."
"What?! How is that possible?!" The smoke cleared, revealing Ren standing in the exact same spot, completely unharmed. Not a speck of dust, not a single scorch mark, marred his clothing. "How could you be unharmed after being hit by my magic?! Even Elfman was knocked out by that move!"
Evergreen's eyes widened in disbelief. The previous attack failing she could blame on attacking in a hurry, but this time? She had specifically increased the amount of scale powder, focusing the blast directly on Ren. And he was still completely untouched. This was too absurd.
"It's simple," Ren said, dusting off a shoulder that hadn't even been touched. "You didn't hit me."
"Impossible! My attack covered everything around you! There's no way it didn't hit!"
"To be precise," Ren continued, "you only hit my Infinity. Never mind, there's no need to explain Cursed Technique Explanation to you, either. You wouldn't get it."
[Akarin's Note: Infinity, another Gojo Satoru ability, allows Ren to bring the concept of "infinity" into reality, creating an invisible barrier where things slow down infinitely, never quite reaching him.]
Although Evergreen didn't understand the words "Infinity" or "Cursed Technique," she understood one thing perfectly: the sheer, condescending contempt in his tone. She could feel that Ren was looking down on her.
"Do you think you can defeat me even with your eyes closed?!" she snarled, her pride wounded.
"Uh... I forgot to tell you something," Ren said, tapping the side of his head. "My Six Eyes... even if my vision is physically obstructed, it doesn't hinder my sight at all. That means I can see you just as well with my eyes covered as with them open. Probably better, actually."
"Monster!!"
That was the last straw. Evergreen immediately turned and fled, bursting out of the alley and into the sky. If the other party's vision was obstructed, she could still try to fight. But now that he confirmed his vision was fine, she had absolutely no chance of winning.
Whoosh!
In a flicker of movement, Ren's body instantly appeared in the air directly in front of Evergreen, blocking her path.
"Teleportation!!" Evergreen shrieked, yanking to a halt so fast she nearly fell out of the air.
Now she understood. She understood why she had run so far, so fast, and yet was caught so quickly. It wasn't just speed; it was teleportation.
"Damn it! How many kinds of magic does this guy know?!"
Panicked and cornered, she lashed out. "Fairy Machine Gun: Pixie!!"
Evergreen spread her arms, and her wings vibrated, unleashing countless needle-shaped projectiles of explosive magic. The entire swarm shot directly toward Ren.
This time, Ren didn't even bother to taunt her. He just stood still in the air, hands in his pockets.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
A flurry of small, intense explosions lit up the sky.
But this time, Evergreen saw it clearly. She watched in horror as her needle-shaped bombs, her fastest attack, slowed down significantly just before hitting Ren. They seemed to enter a patch of thick, invisible molasses, crawling to a near-stop. Even when they detonated, the explosions themselves warped, bending around him, leaving him completely unharmed in the eye of the storm.
It was as if there was an invisible, untouchable barrier protecting him.
"My turn," Ren said, his voice bored. He raised his palm, and a sphere of pure, crushing blue energy appeared. It didn't radiate heat; it radiated absence, pulling at the light and air around it.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Blue!"
Ren casually flicked his wrist, throwing the Blue Sphere toward Evergreen. She yelped and quickly dodged to the side.
Crack! Crack!
The energy sphere touched the wall of a nearby building. The wall didn't explode. It was gnawed away, collapsing in on itself as if consumed by a miniature black hole, leaving a gaping, perfectly round hole.
The sight startled Evergreen to her core. What was that thing? If she got hit by it, wouldn't she be finished?
Ren, seeing her dodge, simply controlled 'Blue' to chase after her. Evergreen flew frantically, the sphere nipping at her heels, the sound of collapsing matter following her.
"One isn't enough? Then have a few more."
Ren waved his hand, and seven more Blue Spheres of energy flickered into existence. They charged wildly, devouring everything they touched—chunks of rooftops, stray chimneys, a flock of birds—reducing it all to nothing.
"Fairy Machine Gun: Pixie!" Evergreen screamed, firing another volley in desperation.
Her magic bombs flew toward the spheres and were simply swallowed, vanishing without a sound or an explosion, consumed by the 'Blue' energy.
In just a short, terrifying while, the eight Blue Spheres had herded her, cornering her against the side of a large building. Evergreen looked in terror at the several spheres surrounding her, buzzing like hungry predators. She was afraid, petrified, that they would rush toward her and tear her to shreds in the next second.
Ren floated over, his hands still casually tucked in his pockets.
"Return everyone to normal," he stated. It wasn't a request. "I don't want to repeat myself."
Evergreen was trembling, cold sweat pouring down her face. But her pride, and her devotion to Laxus, made her play her final card.
"Hehehe..." she managed, a shaky, arrogant laugh. "I say, aren't you too naive? My Stone Eyes have another ability, you know. Long-range manipulation. Don't forget I have hostages."
She tried to channel Laxus's arrogance, "You and Mira are boyfriend and girlfriend, right? I saw how you looked at her. If you don't want her to turn into stone dust, you'll kneel before me immediately!!"
A beat of silence. Ren stopped.
"Is that so?" he said, his voice flat. "Then I truly underestimated you. Since you've chosen this path, I respect your decision."
He turned his back to her. "I'll use your life to commemorate the souls of the girls."
As Ren turned, the eight Blue Spheres closed in on Evergreen.
Evergreen's mind went blank. Wait. Wait! This isn't how the story is supposed to go!
Normally, shouldn't he be on his knees, begging her to spare the girls? How could he completely ignore the script and just turn and walk away?!
The powerful suction from the 'Blue' spheres instantly tore at her dress, the fabric ripping to shreds under the unnatural force. Evergreen felt the eight spheres tearing at her body, a horrifying sensation, as if her limbs were being pulled in eight different directions at once. Her body would be dismembered in the next instant.
"Aaahhhhhhh!!! Stop... Stop it!! I surrender!! I'll turn them back! I'll turn them all back!!"
[Akarin Note:
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