However, Byro, trembling all over from the electric shock, still grinned ferociously.
"For... Edolas!"
The shaking Byro shouted a slogan, and immediately after, his body underwent a terrifying transformation.
It seemed as though countless things were wriggling and swelling beneath his skin, his bones emitted a grating sound that set teeth on edge, and his clothes were torn to shreds!
Byro's body instantly began to swell, and he transformed into a huge, ugly octopus in the blink of an eye.
He swung several thick, powerful tentacles, whipping them toward the group.
"What is this thing?!"
Such a sudden scene left everyone stunned.
Could this be "Take Over Magic"?
To actually transform into such a massive monster....
"Lightning Lance!"
Laxus flicked his hand, and lightning condensed into a spear of electricity that shot out, striking the octopus-transformed Byro directly.
"Thud!"
Blood splattered everywhere.
Byro's massive octopus body was like a target; he couldn't dodge at all and could only use one tentacle to block.
But not only was the tentacle severed, the electrified spear still plunged deep into his body.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Gray, Natsu, and the others also joined the attack.
Ice, fire, lightning, wind, water, bullets, and fists came crashing down in a chaotic flurry, completely submerging the giant octopus in a barrage of magical assaults.
"Tsk~ This is just too brutal."
Watching the bloodied Byro octopus being beaten, Marco grimaced.
He truly couldn't understand where this guy got the confidence to stand in their way.
Had he grown so accustomed to lording over the "Edolas" world that he never expected their strength to be this formidable?
In truth, it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
These members of the "Edolas" Royal Army, these high-ranking officials and nobles, clearly had no shortage of magic to use.
They had ample Magic Crystals to squander.
When facing the lower-tier Magic Guilds, they indeed held an overwhelming advantage, even capable of one-sided slaughter.
It couldn't be helped.
Just look at the current "Dark Guilds" and "Fairy Tail"—they didn't even have enough magic to perform spatial relocation of their guilds again.
If Marco and the others hadn't arrived, it was likely that the last remaining Magic Guilds in "Edolas" would have completely vanished from history.
These members of the Magic War Division were used to crushing their opponents.
Now, encountering the regular Mage army of the "Expedition Force," they hadn't adjusted yet and still thought they could dominate.
That's why they were so arrogant, each one recklessly attempting to stop them alone—just like Hughes, and now this Byro.
But the reality showed them that the Expedition Force, composed of "Fairy Tail," "Blue Pegasus," and "Quatro Cerberus," was no ragtag group lacking magic power.
Dealing with these people didn't require overexerting their magic; the magic generated by their normal internal magic source circulation was more than sufficient.
On the other hand, Erza might find herself in a situation where her magic wasn't enough, as her opponent was one of the Royal Army's trump cards.
"This king sure ran away quickly."
After dealing with Byro, the group was at a loss because the king had disappeared, and it seemed he had been gone for quite some time.
"He probably didn't run away, Mystogan. Does your Edolas Kingdom have any trump cards? Something kept as a last resort?"
Judging by Byro's words, the king didn't seem to have fled but rather was preparing something massive!
Something so enormous that it could bury everyone once unleashed.
"Trump cards?" Mystogan, who had caught up with the main group, furrowed his brow.
After a moment of thought, his eyes widened in realization.
"Good grief! There really is one?!"
Seeing Mystogan's reaction, Marco knew he had guessed correctly.
This boss battle was indeed not going to be straightforward.
"It's that... He's actually going to deploy..."
Mystogan gritted his teeth, clearly furious at what his father might be attempting.
It was a forbidden act, the ultimate weapon that should never be used.
"BZZZZZT!!!"
Before Mystogan could finish, a deep, massive humming sound seemed to erupt from the depths of the earth, followed immediately by the heavy roar of grinding metal and enormous gears turning.
The entire palace fortress began shaking more violently, as if on the verge of disintegration.
Decorations peeled off the walls, chandeliers swung wildly from the ceiling, and the ground undulated like waves—as if some mechanism had been triggered, transforming the entire fortress.
"Seems like it's really something big."
Marco couldn't help but click his tongue.
They were too late; they hadn't managed to stop the king from activating his ultimate weapon.
The earth-shattering scene suddenly reminded Marco of an anime called Akame ga Kill, where every villainous king seemed to have a final trump card.
Would Mystogan's father also pull out a giant robot?
And just as he thought it, the entire fortress, accompanied by deafening mechanical roars and the sound of shattering rock, descended to the ground like a slumbering behemoth.
From the center of the palace, a massive silver-white steel sphere slowly rose, radiating a heart-palpitating aura of magical energy.
The sphere emitted a terrifying magical presence that firmly attracted everyone's gaze.
The fluctuations of magic seemed to solidify the air, and a suffocating pressure washed over them like a tide.
"That's... Dorma Anim... It's actually real..."
Mystogan muttered in a daze, his face filled with disbelief.
Of course, he knew what it was, but he had never seen it before.
He had even doubted its existence.
Yet, when trump cards were mentioned, this forbidden legend was the first thing that came to his mind.
"Dorma Anim? What is that?"
Marco was full of questions, his eyes locked on the giant sphere that began emitting stronger hums and light.
The others also looked at the silent, stunned Mystogan with shock and gravity.
"Dorma Anim actually means Dragon Knight. This thing... is legendary... dragon-form enhanced armor."
As Mystogan explained, the silver-white steel sphere in the square began to unfold, slide, and reassemble its armor plates like petals layer by layer, accompanied by screeching metal friction and hissing as it opened.
At first glance, it resembled a silver-white steel dragon—rigid and ferocious in its lines, its entire body covered in thick armor plates that shimmered with a silvery glow.
This steel monstrosity stood on two legs, its massive arms ending in sharp claw-like blades stretched out wide.
A tail composed of large metal joints hung from its back, while its elongated neck extended like a battering ram, culminating in a head that was the most dragon-like part.
Two enormous crystal eyes on the dragon's head glowed with a cold, crimson light.
"Reinforced armor... so it's a mech." Marco gritted his teeth.
This really was a machine that could be piloted, and the trump card felt somewhat familiar.
"Don't underestimate it. The outer shell of this armor is entirely embedded with anti-magic Magic Crystals—they're magic nullifiers. This means the Dragon Knight can completely neutralize all external magic..."
Mystogan continued, his expression already shifting uneasily.
His mind raced as he began analyzing the machine's weaknesses.
"What?!"
Everyone gasped in unison, a chill instantly shooting up from the soles of their feet to the base of their spines.
After all, if magic was rendered useless, the fight would be on an entirely different level.
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