"Alright, enough talk. Let's go, or Natsu and the others will be in trouble," Chen Fan urged.
Erza was genuinely worried about Natsu and Lucy. Furthermore, Chen Fan had once mentioned that his ultimate moves couldn't be used repeatedly without a physical toll. Since he had just fought the leader of Oración Seis, he had to be exhausted.
In a way, Erza was still calculating Chen Fan's strength based on magical capacity. There was a significant difference, however. What Chen Fan needed was physical stamina; the calculations required for his ability were incredibly taxing on the brain and placed a heavy burden on the body.
Chen Fan picked Erza up, and his body drifted off the ground like a ghost. He didn't move too quickly, though. If he wanted to accelerate, he would have used his ability to conjure four cyclones at his back. Since he could control the flow of air, he could naturally master the wind.
Erza didn't know he could do that. She felt something was slightly off, but since Chen Fan was behaving himself, she didn't overthink it. She simply assumed he was tired. Ultimately, she still didn't understand the full scope of his powers.
Of course, Chen Fan's goal was simple: he wanted to hold her for as long as possible.
Meanwhile, as they were tangled in a fight with Natsu, Lucy, and Gray, the talking staff suddenly spoke. "This is bad! Very bad! That person is coming!" Klodoa floated in mid-air, trembling violently. He clearly wasn't joking, which left Natsu and the others bewildered.
"What are you talking about? Who's 'that person'?"
"Is there someone else? An eighth member?" Happy joked. Klodoa was considered the seventh member. In the earlier trap, Jura had exhausted his magic to protect them and was now unconscious. Wendy was currently treating him, with Carla standing by. That was when Klodoa had appeared and begun fighting Natsu's group.
At that moment, the remaining marks on the defeated Brain's face began to glow with a golden light. After a few breaths, the light and the marks vanished together. The unconscious Brain suddenly snapped his eyes open. His sclera had turned a deep blood-red, leaving only the black pupils. He looked monstrously evil, radiating an aura of pure violence and destruction.
Klodoa continued to shudder, beads of sweat forming on the skull's forehead.
"He's shaking non-stop and making these weird 'bili-bili' sounds. What is he even saying?" Gray asked, standing shirtless to the side.
Happy chimed in, "Look at all that juice!"
"It's sweat!" Lucy snapped.
"Is this really the time for jokes?" Carla scolded them.
"Carla, where did Brother Chen Fan go? Why isn't he back yet?" Wendy asked worriedly.
"Why do you care about that guy? He's clearly up to no good!"
"Brain..." Klodoa whispered.
"Huh?"
"Chen Fan already defeated that guy, didn't he?" Natsu said casually, resting his hands behind his head.
"No... Brain has another personality. The surface personality, known as Brain, loves knowledge. But the inner personality, known as Zero, craves only destruction."
"Craves destruction?"
"Zero!"
"Because he was too brutal and possessed overwhelming magic power, Brain sealed him away using six locks!" Klodoa continued.
"You mean Oración Seis?"
"Exactly. He used Organic Link Magic. When the six members are defeated, the Zero personality awakens."
"Sounds interesting," Natsu shouted, his eyes lighting up. "I was annoyed that I didn't get to personally beat that bastard who didn't respect his comrades. If he's back, I'll just have to knock him down again. Oh, I'm all fired up now!"
Boom!
As soon as Natsu finished speaking, a hole was blasted through the nearby wall, and a figure stepped out.
Klodoa dropped to his knees in terror. "Welcome back, Master Zero."
Natsu and the others took a defensive stance. Brain had been a nightmare to deal with before Chen Fan stepped in, but they weren't Chen Fan. The gap in power was immense.
"Things have become quite interesting, Klodoa," Zero said. "Even Midnight was taken out? What a useless waste. Brain spent so much effort on him."
"I... I am deeply sorry!"
"Regardless... it has been a long time. This feeling, this body, this voice, this magic... I've missed it all. Leave the rest to me. Step back, Klodoa." Zero tightened his fist, and red and black lightning flickered across his arm.
Rip!
Zero tore off his outer clothes. His body glowed with a sickly green light as his magic surged, manifesting a new green outfit over his frame.
"You brats have made a mess of my guild. As the leader, I've come to settle the score."
"This guy... is he the true leader of Oración Seis?" Lucy asked, her voice trembling.
The magic pressure radiating from Zero was suffocating. The ground shook under the weight of his power, causing small stones to float into the air.
"Your blood is pumping now, isn't it, Natsu!"
"Yeah... but this magic is nauseating. I've never felt anything like it," Natsu replied.
Zero turned his gaze toward the fallen Jura and Wendy. "Oh? Let's start with this member of the Ten Wizard Saints. I'll take you down one by one!" Zero raised his hand, and a complex purple magic circle appeared. Beams of green magic shot out toward Jura and Wendy.
"Ice-Make: Wall!" Gray rushed in front of them, conjuring a wall of ice to intercept the beams. He gritted his teeth as he struggled against Zero's magic.
"Attacking an unconscious man and a child? You bastard!" Gray growled, but it was all he could do just to hold the line.
"Hmm? What are you dreaming about? If it weren't for your arrogance, would I even be here? Enemies should be annihilated. Destroyed until not even a speck of dust remains. That is the only correct path."
Crack! Crash! Gray didn't even have the breath to answer. His ice wall began to shatter.
"Damn it! My shield was broken that easily?"
"Bastard!" Natsu lunged at Zero, his fists engulfed in flames. He aimed a punch at Zero's face, but Zero caught it with a single hand.
Gray's ice wall exploded, and he threw himself in front of Wendy, Carla, and Jura to shield them. The blast slammed into his back.
"Argh!" He let out a cry of pain and collapsed.
"Gray! Wendy!" Lucy screamed.
"Wendy! Wendy! Are you okay?" Carla asked frantically.
Wendy shook her head. "I'm fine. We have to check on Mr. Gray. He was badly hurt protecting us. I need to treat him now!" She ran toward Gray.
Natsu swung his other fist, a red magic circle appearing, but the circle in Zero's hand grew even larger, effortlessly blocking the strike.
"Whether you can move or not, whether you're an adult or a brat... none of it matters. Isn't it fun to destroy things with form? Hahaha!" Zero laughed maniacally.
Zero pointed a single finger at Natsu. Boom! Natsu was sent flying, crashing through the ceiling.
"What do we do? This is terrifying! I can't move... where is Chen Fan? Why isn't he back? I'm so scared!" Lucy's body shook uncontrollably as Zero's blood-red eyes locked onto her. Happy clung to her leg, trembling just as hard.
"Chen Fan!" Lucy screamed.
Zero's magic lunged toward her and Happy. They both squeezed their eyes shut, too terrified to watch.
"...!"
Suddenly, a sound that usually felt a bit grating to Lucy's ears sounded like the most beautiful melody in the world.
Lucy slumped to the ground, her strength failing her. Looking at the figure standing before hera man whose shoulders weren't particularly broadshe felt a profound sense of peace and safety. However, when her eyes drifted to Chen Fan's arms, she couldn't help but complain once more.
"Erza!"
"He's actually still carrying someone while under attack!"
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