"You're quite quick-witted. Otherwise, that kinetic energy would have likely shattered both your legs."
"Don't mock me! My Reflector is the strongest!" Midnight shouted.
"Reflector magic...? Heh."
"What's so funny?"
"What I can control isn't just magic. Wind, fire, water, earth, light, clouds, the ground, air, space, time... everything. As long as it has a magnitude and a direction, I can control it," Chen Fan said, reaching his hands toward the sky.
His words stunned both Erza and Midnight. While Midnight might have thought Chen Fan was exaggerating, Erza knew him better. She knew that with that expression on his face, he wouldn't deign to lie.
It was staggering. Not just for her, but for Fairy Tail and the Magic Council as well. Everyone had been guessing what kind of mage Chen Fan was. The consensus had been that he was a multi-composite magesomeone who possessed many types of magic. They assumed the lack of a magical aura was a side effect of overlapping spells.
The truth was far beyond that. If the world found out, it would cause a massive upheaval. This was something that could no longer be explained by magic alone.
"You're lying! How could anyone have an ability like that!" Midnight screamed at him.
"Heh. It's normal that you don't believe it. I didn't believe it myself when I first received this power, but now I have no choice but to believe," Chen Fan replied. "Did you know? I was the one who defeated Brain just a moment ago. Now, go join him!"
With a heavy stomp, Chen Fan blurred through the air toward Midnight.
Midnight raised his hand to block. Chen Fan's movements seemed slow and lacked any apparent force, but the moment Midnight made contact, his world changed. 'Pain' was the only thing he felt.
Boom!
Midnight followed in Brain's footsteps, crashing through a row of buildings. Unless Chen Fan intentionally held back, very few people could survive a direct punch from him.
"Ahhh!" Midnight screamed in agony, his bones seemingly crying out in pain. He struggled to stand. "How... how could I be defeated?"
"Why wouldn't you be? I was holding back just now. If I truly wanted to kill you, you would have ceased to exist already. Do you realize that I can control even the blood on your lips? Blood is a fluid, after all. It has a flow."
Midnight flinched at the words, but when he saw the playful glint in Chen Fan's eyes, he realized he was being toyed with.
His face contorted with rage. "You will pay a price in blood for this! Ahhh!"
Midnight let out a roar as his body seemed to grow taller and more imposing, like a demon escaping the depths of hell. His height increased as the very sky turned the color of gore.
"Tremble in fear! Do you know why I am called Midnight? Because in the depths of the night, my power increases ten-thousand-fold!"
"Run, Chen Fan! He's too powerful now!" Erza shouted.
Chen Fan didn't seem to hear her, standing perfectly still. Panicked, Erza ran toward him, intending to drag him away and retreat.
Midnight's giant hand descended toward Chen Fan's head. But the moment it touched him, a crack appeared in the world. The fissure expanded rapidly until the entire scene shattered like a mirror.
Erza froze. Midnight was back in his human form, stumbling as if he'd been struck again. The monster was nowhere to be seen.
"That was just an illusion. It requires the target's eyes and verbal cues to take root. Honestly, your illusion magic is pathetic. To need a medium like that... I once met an illusionist who could control all five senseseven the sixthwithout any medium at all," Chen Fan remarked with a click of his tongue.
"How... how is my illusion magic useless against you?" Midnight stammered.
"I told you, I control vectors. Human thoughts and spiritual energy are just another type of vector. Illusions are nothing to me." Chen Fan didn't elaborate. He remembered the pain that the other illusionist had once caused him. Back then, he was a more powerful Level 5, but he lacked a certain human finesse. He believed that if he fought that person now, he would do far better.
"Regardless, your illusion rank is too low. It's ineffective."
"Cough... it's not entirely ineffective. I've confirmed that your magic has a fatal flaw. You have to be in physical contact with your target for it to work, don't you?"
Clap, clap, clap. Chen Fan began to applaud.
"Not bad for a copycat. You figured that out from your own limitations, didn't you? Your magic can be applied to yourself or to your enemy, but you have to choose one or the other. But did you really think my ability was that simple?"
"How do you know that?" Midnight asked, terrified. That was one of his deepest secrets.
"I'm not the only one who knows; Erza figured it out too. When you dodged her thrown sword earlier, you could have just used Reflector to bounce it away without moving. But you moved your body instead. That proved you can only control one target at a time."
"So what? As long as you can't catch me, I'll!"
Swish!
A beam of light streaked past Midnight's ear. A silver flash like a lightning bolt left the scent of ozone in the air. Midnight froze, slowly sinking to the ground as his will to resist evaporated.
Chen Fan walked over and struck Midnight across the neck with the edge of his hand. Midnight collapsed, unconscious.
Erza looked at the fallen Midnight with a hint of sympathy. Anyone who witnessed power that overwhelming for the first time would feel nothing but despair. Given the kinetic energy and acceleration Chen Fan could apply to a simple coin, Reflector simply couldn't react in time.
At that moment, the final mark on Brain's face vanished.
Simultaneously, a massive explosion erupted from the central building of Nirvana.
"What happened?" Erza asked.
Chen Fan slapped his forehead. It had been so long that he'd forgotten about the traps inside the tower. He only remembered a vague outlinethat Fairy Tail eventually wonbut the details had faded.
"It looks like the central hub of Nirvana exploded. We need to get there, or Natsu and the others will be in danger," Chen Fan said, opening his arms.
"Right. But why are you opening your arms?" Erza asked suspiciously.
"Don't you get it? I'm going to carry you!"
"I have legs. Why do you need to carry me?"
"Because it's faster! I'll fly us there," Chen Fan said with an air of righteousness.
"Then you fly ahead and check the situation first," Erza replied, refusing to give him an opening for his antics.
"I... I..." Chen Fan stuttered for a moment, searching for an excuse. Finally, he blurted out, "I'm afraid!"
Erza was speechless.
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