Chapter 228: Susanoo
The two of them quickly looked toward Ren, who was lying on the ground, defeated—or so they thought.
But when their gazes landed on the spot where his body should have been, they found nothing but empty air.
Ren had vanished.
Then, they both blinked, a wave of dizziness washing over them like a sudden drop in air pressure. As their vision cleared, the chaotic battlefield they had been struggling in just moments ago dissolved.
The craters, the scorched earth, the debris—it was all gone. They were standing there completely unharmed, breathing heavily, but without a single scratch on their bodies.
The surrounding environment hadn't been damaged in the slightest; the trees were still standing, the grass was lush and green. Everything was exactly as it had been at the start of the encounter.
"How is that possible?!" Elfman gasped, spinning around, his eyes wide with confusion. He patted his chest, checking for wounds that he was sure he had sustained moments ago.
"This is... an Illusion Technique?! When?!"
Elfman and Evergreen were stunned, cold sweat trickling down their backs. When exactly had they fallen under the Illusion? They hadn't even seen him cast a spell.
"The moment you looked into these eyes of mine, you fell under the Illusion Technique."
Ren's voice drifted calmly from the shadows of the tree line, untouched and composed.
"What?!"
"Those eyes..."
Evergreen took a step back, her hands trembling slightly. As a member of the Thunder God Tribe and the user of Stone Eyes, she was an expert in Eye Magic. Her magic allowed her to turn anyone who looked into her eyes to stone. She was usually the one controlling the flow of battle through gaze alone.
But this... this was different.
When the battle had started—or when she thought it started—she had caught a glimpse of Ren's eyes. They weren't his usual dark irises. They had morphed into a spinning crimson pattern, swirling with an ominous, hypnotic light. At that instant, she had felt a strange tug in her mind, but the "battle" had erupted so quickly she hadn't had time to process it. She never expected that the mere act of looking at him was the trigger.
Both of them were filled with dread. They had been hit without even realizing the battle had begun. Evergreen's Stone Eyes had a condition: she had to remove her glasses and establish direct eye contact. It was a powerful tool, but it had limitations. Ren's Illusion Technique, however, seemed to ignore such rules. It didn't matter that she was wearing glasses; the visual connection alone was enough to enslave their senses.
"Elfman, prepare to keep fighting," Evergreen hissed, her voice tight with tension. "Don't look at his eyes. Look at his feet, look at his shoulders—anywhere but his face!"
Evergreen closed her eyes tight, her heart pounding against her ribs. She told Elfman the strategy, knowing full well the irony. Her ultimate card, the Stone Eyes, required her to look at the opponent. But against Ren, engaging in a battle of gazes was suicide. It was like a snake trying to stare down a dragon; the hierarchy of predatory power was clear. She didn't dare gamble. If the first glance had trapped them in a genjutsu, a second glance might shatter their minds entirely.
Hearing this, Elfman immediately squeezed his eyes shut. "Understood! A man faces his fears, but a man also listens to strategy!"
Relying on his other senses—the sound of breathing, the shift of wind, the smell of the forest—Elfman roared to psych himself up.
"Ooh ahhhhh!"
Muscles rippled and expanded as Elfman activated his Take Over: Beast Soul. His skin thickened, turning into a hide capable of withstanding cannon fire. With a thunderous bellow, he charged toward the source of Ren's presence. He rushed right up to him, guided by instinct and the sheer intent to overpower.
"BEAST SOUL: FULL BODY TAKE OVER!"
Elfman slammed his massive, monstrous fist toward Ren with enough force to pulverize a boulder.
Ren did not dodge or evade. He stood with his hands in his pockets, remaining rooted to the spot as the behemoth descended upon him.
Boom—!!
The sound wasn't the fleshy thud of a fist hitting a body. It was a resonant, metallic clang, like a hammer striking a god's bell.
"What?!"
Elfman was startled; his attack had been completely halted mid-air. The shockwave of the impact rattled his bones, but his fist hadn't touched Ren. He couldn't help but slightly open his eyes, squinting through the slits, trying his best to avoid Ren's gaze while seeing what had stopped him.
He saw it.
An ethereal, orange-red energy had erupted from Ren, forming a solid, glowing ribcage that surrounded Ren's body like a spectral armor. It pulsated with heat and a terrifyingly dense magical power.
"Elfman, retreat!!" Evergreen screamed, sensing the spike in magical pressure.
Elfman immediately kicked off the ground, backflipping away from the eerie construct.
"Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun!"
Evergreen didn't hesitate. She unleashed her signature move, scattering a large amount of magical scale powder into the air. The glittering dust surrounded Ren and the ribcage.
"Explode!!"
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
A violent chain reaction of explosions erupted, engulfing the area in blinding light and deafening noise. The ground shook as the continuous blasts tore up the earth, creating a dense cloud of smoke and dust.
Evergreen panted, adjusting her glasses as she looked at Elfman. "Did we get him?!"
Elfman nervously stared at the smoke from the explosion, his guard raised. "If I'm in an illusion again, hit me, Evergreen! Wake me up!"
"I don't think this is an illusion..." Evergreen whispered, her confidence waning.
Slowly, the smoke dissipated, carried away by the sea breeze.
Ren stood there, completely unmoved. The orange-red energy had not faded; instead, it had grown. The ribcage was still intact, without a single crack. The explosions hadn't even scratched the surface of the defense. Ren stood within the Susanoo, looking at them with an expression of bored indifference.
Evergreen knew from Elfman's pale expression that this attack had neither killed nor injured Ren. It hadn't even made him flinch.
Just then, the atmosphere grew heavy, as if gravity itself had increased. The energy skeleton around Ren's body rapidly grew, expanding outward with a roar of magical flames. Bones knit together, forming arms, a spine, and finally, a gigantic, demonic skull that loomed over the clearing.
"Wha... What is that?!"
Elfman looked up at Susanoo's gigantic skull, his neck craning back. His body trembled uncontrollably, a primal fear seizing his heart. It was a monster. A literal avatar of destruction made of pure magic.
"What's wrong?! Elfman?! Did you fall under the Illusion Technique?!" Evergreen cried out, unable to see clearly through the lingering dust and her own squinted eyes.
"No... it's real! It's a giant skeleton!"
At that moment, the Susanoo raised a massive, spectral arm. It clenched its fist—a fist the size of a small house—and smashed it fiercely into the ground.
Boom——!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted suddenly.
The earth screamed as it was rent asunder. Trees were uprooted instantly, and the very bedrock of Tenrou Island seemed to groan under the assault. A wave of force, dust, and debris rolled out in all directions like a tsunami.
"Wuaaahhhhhh!!"
"Evergreen!"
In the face of the oncoming destruction, Elfman didn't run. He dove in front of Evergreen, crossing his arms and hardening his body to the limit.
"Steel Soul!"
He shielded Evergreen with his own body as the powerful shockwave continuously battered him. The wind tore at his skin, and the pressure threatened to crush his organs.
After a long while, the shockwave subsided.
Silence returned to the forest, but the landscape had been irrevocably changed.
Elfman was covered in injuries, his clothes tattered, kneeling on one knee. He had canceled his Take Over form, exhausted by the effort of withstanding the blow. Behind him, Evergreen was shaken but unharmed, her eyes wide with shock.
"Elfman!!"
Evergreen quickly grabbed Elfman's arm, asking with concern, "Are you okay?!"
Simultaneously, she forgot herself and looked up at Ren.
She froze.
She saw Ren standing in the center of the devastation, enveloped by the gigantic orange-red skull of the Susanoo. A massive crater, tens of meters wide, had appeared in front of him. The destruction was absolute. And he had done it with a single, casual strike.
It looked utterly terrifying. Like a deity looking down on mortals.
Elfman's body trembled, his face full of terror as he stared at the avatar. "We can't win... we absolutely can't win..."
His voice cracked. "Just a normal punch caused such horrifying destruction... The gap in power between us is simply too vast... I... surrender!"
Although he was somewhat unwilling to drop out of the S-Class Promotion Exam like this, Ren's strength was truly immense—so immense that he couldn't see the slightest hope of victory. To continue fighting wasn't bravery; it was stupidity.
Evergreen wasn't doing much better. Her legs felt like jelly. What made her despair was the casual nature of it all. Every Take Over transformation Ren used turned him into a terrifyingly powerful monster. First the spatial attacks, now this unbreachable defense and offense.
Ren dealt with the two of them as if he were merely playing around. They had fallen under Ren's Illusion Technique at the start; if Ren had been serious then, he could have easily slit their throats while they were trapped in the dream.
Ren saw their fighting spirit break. He slowly deactivated the Susanoo. The orange flames dissipated into the air. He also released the Uchiha Itachi Take Over form, his eyes returning to normal as he went back to his original appearance.
Suddenly!
Ren clapped his hands together and said, "Very good!"
The tone was bright, completely contrasting the grim atmosphere of a second ago.
Elfman and Evergreen looked up at Ren, confused.
"The courage you showed in facing me is already commendable," Ren said, walking towards them with a faint smile. "You possess the spirit of self-sacrifice for victory, and when danger struck, your first thought wasn't to flee, but to protect your comrade."
He looked at Elfman, who was still kneeling, shielding Evergreen.
"Fear is not a 'bad thing.' It is not a weakness," Ren quoted, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "It's because you know your weaknesses. Knowing your weaknesses allows a person to become stronger and gentler. It allows you to understand what is truly important. This mindset is indispensable for becoming an S-Class Mage."
"Strength alone is not enough. The heart to protect the guild and your friends is what makes a master. Based on your performance, you have passed my test."
"But... but..."
Elfman stammered. He had lost. He had surrendered. How could he pass?
When Elfman heard Ren say he had passed, his body couldn't stop trembling. An indescribable emotion welled up inside him, making his eyes misty. He felt unworthy, yet recognized. But he felt that passing this way—by being beaten until he gave up—was somewhat shameful for a man.
Ren waved his hand dismissively and said, "No 'buts.' If I say you passed, you passed. My criteria are the only ones that matter on this path. If anyone disagrees, they can come find me."
Ren crossed his arms. "However, the test isn't over yet. This was only the first stage in becoming an S-Class Mage. There are more challenging tests waiting for you later. Don't think it gets easier from here."
"Ren-nii~~~!!"
When Elfman heard Ren's words, the dam broke. He burst into tears, snot running down his nose. He had long regarded Ren as his brother-in-law and Big Brother. Ever since Lisanna's return and Mira's happiness, it was thanks to Ren that the Strauss family was whole again. Ren had helped him overcome his psychological barriers, and whenever he sought advice, Ren patiently guided him.
"You really are the manliest of men, Ren-nii!!"
Ren smiled, but then his brow twitched as Elfman tried to hug him. He waved his hand to shoo him away. "Now go! Before I change my mind."
"Ren-nii! I definitely won't let down your expectations and will become an S-Class Mage!" Elfman declared, wiping his tears with his forearm.
"Get lost! I didn't have high expectations for you to begin with!"
"Eh——?!"
Elfman was dumbfounded, freezing mid-sob. He realized he had been moved for nothing. The touching moment shattered instantly.
"Alright! Hurry up and go!" Ren barked.
Evergreen quickly helped Elfman up. "Come on, let's go before he summons that skeleton again."
She helped Elfman leave quickly, glancing back at Ren one last time with a mixture of fear and awe. She now understood that Ren was a complete and utter monster, and she felt foolish for actually thinking she could defeat him earlier.
Soon, Elfman and Evergreen disappeared at the intersection of the tunnel, heading deeper into the island.
Once they were gone, the playful expression vanished from Ren's face. His eyes narrowed, turning sharp and cold. He looked towards the canopy of the forest, sensing a disturbance in the air—a dark, cold magic that didn't belong to any Fairy Tail mage.
Ren's expression turned serious.
"Now, it's time to handle the real business."
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