Time seemed to slow down in the chaotic entertainment city.
Erza looked at the four familiar yet strange faces before her, and her heart felt like it was being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand. The pain made it almost impossible for her to breathe.
They were the companions she swore to escape hell with, but now they were the ones who brought hell to her.
"Why are you here?"
Her voice was dry and trembling, carrying a plea she hadn't even noticed herself.
"Why... would you attack my companions, innocent people?"
Her answer was Millianna's innocent and cheerful laughter.
"Why not?" The cat-girl tilted her head, her tone as casual as if it were obvious. "Of course, we're here to take you back, Erza."
"Take me back?" Erza's body swayed.
"That's right." Wally stepped forward, his tone unyielding and forceful. "Of course, it's to take you back to the Tower of Heaven."
Heaven... a place that was no different from hell for them.
Erza took a deep breath, forcing herself to break free from the immense grief. A glimmer of light reformed in her intact eye beneath her scarlet hair.
"I won't go back with you. Quickly release Lucy and Mira."
"Don't worry about that." Sho let countless cards flutter between his fingers, his face still holding that sickly excitement.
"Come back, nee-san. Everyone is waiting for you."
The address "nee-san" sounded ironic at this moment.
"If you don't cooperate obediently..."
Wally's block-like arm suddenly began to deform, making a "clack, clack" sound. In an instant, his right hand transformed into a uniquely shaped block sniper rifle, its dark muzzle aimed at the bound Lucy.
"Lucy!" Erza's pupils suddenly contracted.
At this moment, her newly gathered fighting spirit was shattered by this cold threat.
Her companions, the companions she considered family, were being threatened with their lives by her former companions.
This immense mental shock made her mind go blank again. Her will to fight disintegrated.
Sho's lips curled into a triumphant arc. He exchanged a glance with Simon and Wally, preparing to capture Erza while her mind was reeling.
Just then, an indescribable chill spread from behind them without warning. The noisy air of the entire entertainment city seemed to be completely sucked out in that instant.
Everyone's movements froze.
Whether it was Sho, who was about to make a move, or Wally, who was threatening with a gun, or the bound Lucy and Mirajane, or even the beleaguered Erza, everyone instinctively looked towards the source of that chill.
Not far away, in front of the bar that had just been empty, a tall figure slowly emerged.
Ryoma stepped out at a leisurely pace, but the magical pressure emanating from him was like a tangible ice crystal mountain, heavy, cold, and terrifying.
Tiny ice crystals condensed in the air, shimmering with deadly light under the illumination. His appearance instantly froze the air in the entire space.
Ryoma's gaze slowly swept across the scene, finally landing on the two girls bundled up by special restraints.
Mirajane was relatively calm, only her brows were tightly furrowed, while Lucy was squirming on the ground like a caterpillar, trying to break free from her restraints.
Ryoma's lips twitched slightly. He stopped, watched the scene, and spoke with a hint of playfulness, "You guys are quite good at playing."
Before he finished speaking, he casually raised his hand and snapped his fingers lightly in the direction of Lucy and Mirajane.
Snap!
A crisp sound echoed, and Millianna's magic-suppressing restraint rope instantly snapped as if cut by an invisible force, scattering across the floor.
"Eh?"
Lucy and Mirajane were both stunned.
Freed, Lucy immediately jumped up, patted the dust off herself, and looked at the rope on the ground with lingering fear, then turned to Ryoma with a face full of pleasant surprise.
"Ryoma! You're okay!"
Mirajane also stood up and nodded gratefully to Ryoma, her expression grave as she looked at the enemies in front of them.
Ryoma didn't respond to them, his gaze had already turned to Sho and the others, and a bone-chilling coldness emanated from his deep eyes.
"That Jellal fellow is making me a bit uncomfortable."
His voice was calm, yet it made everyone present, including Erza, feel a chill deep in their souls.
"I'll take you guys as interest first."
"Sho! Watch out!"
Simon was the first to react, shouting a warning.
But it was already too late.
"Meow. Gotcha!"
Millianna's figure transformed into a flash of lightning. She was extremely confident in her speed, brandishing new restraint ropes as she lunged straight for Ryoma.
However, she missed, and the restraint rope passed directly through the afterimage Ryoma left behind, landing on the ground.
"Where is he?" Millianna was startled.
"Here."
A cold voice, like a devil's whisper, sounded in her ear.
Millianna's body instantly stiffened. She could even feel the other party's cold breath. She whirled around, only to see a hand constantly growing larger in her field of vision.
When did he...?
Ryoma didn't give her any chance to react. His palm pressed directly onto the top of her head, and a surge of magic power instantly poured in, blocking all the magic flow within her body.
Millianna felt her entire body go limp, all her strength drained away. Ryoma easily lifted her up like a small kitten.
Caught... in an instant... caught...
Feeling the vast and terrifying magic on Ryoma, like a deep abyss, Millianna shrank her neck in fear, her cat ears drooped, and her voice was tearful.
"S-sorry everyone... I've been caught..."
This sudden scene caused Simon, Sho, and Wally to change their expressions dramatically.
"Millianna!"
"Quickly release Millianna!" Wally shouted urgently, his block gun instinctively aimed at Ryoma.
Ryoma held the immobilized Millianna, a rather interested expression on his face.
"Oh?"
"So you guys get angry over things like this too."
He tilted his head, his mockery unconcealed in his tone. "Am I to assume that only your companions are companions, and others' companions can be arbitrarily bullied, threatened, or even killed?"
This sentence was like a resounding slap, hitting all three of their faces hard.
Sho's face instantly turned ashen.
"Enough talk!"
"He's just one person, let's go together!" he snarled.
Simon and Wally nodded heavily, each gathering their magic, preparing to launch a combined attack on Ryoma.
However, just as they were about to make their move—
Boom!!!
A magical pressure at least ten times stronger than before erupted from Ryoma's body like a bursting flood.
Simon, Sho, and Wally's bodies completely stiffened. They felt as if they were being crushed by an invisible, towering mountain, unable to move even a single finger.
A primal fear, originating from the instinct of life itself, instantly flooded their hearts like an icy tide.
They had no doubt that if they made the slightest move, they would be utterly pulverized by this terrifying magic in the next second.
They would die!
They would really die!
Cold sweat continuously dripped from their temples, and expressions of fear appeared on all three of their faces.
The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.
Erza stared blankly at everything before her, watching Millianna, easily subdued and trembling, and watching Simon, Sho, and Wally, paralyzed by terrifying magic and their faces filled with horror.
Her mind finally cleared from the chaos.
"Ryoma!"
Erza snapped out of her shock, looking at the current situation, and almost blurted out a shout.
"Please don't hurt them!"