"Whoosh!"
In an instant, Marco's figure transformed into a blurry afterimage, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound as he closed the distance, arriving before the ferocious dragon head of the "Dorma Anim".
His fist, covered in a strange, flowing energy that seemed almost tangible, shot out like a cannonball without any fancy moves.
It struck precisely and mercilessly against the dragon's jaw.
"BOOM!"
A deafening explosion erupted, accompanied by the grating sound of twisting metal.
The massive silver-armored dragon was lifted off the ground by the tremendous force, its enormous body tracing a brief arc through the air before crashing headfirst into the ground.
"CRASH!!!"
The ground shook violently as if struck by a minor earthquake.
The hard stone pavement instantly cracked and sank, forming a shallow crater while kicking up dense, choking clouds of dust.
The impact was earth-shattering.
"That was quite the 'Rising Dragon' strike."
Marco shook his fist.
He had indeed used the power delivery method of "Rozan Shoryuha" for that punch.
He wasn't wearing the [Draco Bronze Saint Cloth], nor was he using magic power, but rather 'Ki'.
Still, he managed to execute it with considerable style.
"No way?!"
The power behind Marco's punch startled everyone.
Wasn't magic supposed to be completely ineffective? But could a punch like that really be delivered without magic?!
Was he even human?!
Of course, the most shocked person was undoubtedly King Faust, who had just managed to get the "Dorma Anim" back on its feet.
"Impossible! Impossible! What kind of power are you using?! Why didn't the magic nullifier work?! What's going on?!"
The power behind that punch clearly couldn't have been pure physical strength.
Moreover, the damage inflicted on the "Dorma Anim" was greater than expected.
That punch was clearly imbued with some kind of power, something completely beyond their understanding!
"You're not worthy of knowing it. As for your so-called magic-immunity armor, it's nothing special."
Standing on the ground, Marco looked at the "Dorma Anim" and responded with nothing but a scornful, mocking smile.
That single punch had already allowed Marco to gauge the true capabilities of this "Dragon Knight".
While it claimed to be "magic-immune", there were clearly limits.
When magical attack power surpassed its defensive capabilities, this so-called "magic nullifier" would fail completely.
This thing could dominate unchallenged in this world simply because magic here wasn't well developed.
The strongest individuals only reached the level of someone like Erza Knightwalker.
The previous Edolas Marco only emerged under his influence.
Marco didn't deny that Erza was quite powerful, but when it came to pure destructive capability, Erza ultimately fell somewhat short.
He figured that Erza Knightwalker from this world probably wouldn't be much more destructive either.
Just listening to the sounds of their battle made it clear—it was far from causing massive destruction.
"BOOM!!!"
Just as Marco had this thought, the western wall of the castle exploded with a deafening blast.
Rubble flew out like rain as two figures tangled together emerged, their weapons clashing and sending sparks flying.
The two figures landed in the central square.
Looking closely, it was indeed the two Erzas.
Judging by their condition, they had been fighting intensely—their armor was damaged in multiple places, hair disheveled, breathing slightly labored, and both looked rather disheveled.
Yet neither showed clear signs of exhaustion, indicating their strength was likely evenly matched.
Both Erzas seemed bewildered by the scene before them.
Clearly, engrossed in their fierce duel, they hadn't realized a major battle was raging outside, one that had even escalated to the deployment of a "forbidden weapon."
Staring at the "Dorma Anim" radiating terrifying magical energy, Erza Knightwalker's face was filled with shock and fear.
She evidently hadn't expected the king to resort to using such a thing.
"What is that huge thing?"
Erza cautiously stepped back, creating distance from Knightwalker, and moved closer to Marco.
Her attention, too, was captured by the massive entity—understandably so, as the magically surging "Dorma Anim" had an overwhelmingly strong presence.
"An armored monster immune to magic, controlled by the king of Edolas," Marco explained casually, his gaze shifting toward the large hole.
Makarov emerged from the hole with the other mages, all in good order.
It was clear no one had been harmed in the fight against the soldiers.
'He's the real counter to this,' Marco thought to himself upon seeing Makarov.
When the old man giantized, he possessed genuine physical power matching that enormous size—not just empty bulk.
If Makarov transformed into a giant, he could probably smash this "Dragon Knight" to pieces with his fists.
As for this so-called "forbidden weapon," since it wasn't a conceptual-level armament and had its limits, it really wasn't much of a threat in their eyes.
Marco believed at least three people present could destroy it, referring of course to the three generations of the Dreyar family.
However, Marco didn't want the old man to intervene directly, nor did he plan to step in himself.
After discerning the true nature of the "Dorma Anim," he actually relaxed.
He intended to use it as a whetstone to sharpen their comrades' skills.
With him, Makarov, and Laxus standing by as backup, they could ensure their friends' safety to the utmost and step in if they truly couldn't handle it.
"Good, good, good! Everyone's here now. I'll take care of you all at once!"
King Faust, clearly unaware of Marco's thoughts, showed no restraint despite having just taken a punch.
Though surprised by the power of Marco's strike, he didn't believe he would lose, chalking it up to a momentary lapse in defense.
The "Dorma Anim" surged with turbulent magical energy, and long blade-like extensions emerged from its arms.
The steel monster charged toward the group, swinging its elongated arm blades and unleashing terrifying waves of magical light.
"Hum!"
Marco stood his ground, expression calm.
With a casual wave of his hand, a crystalline, starry-glowing "Crystal Wall" instantly materialized, steadily blocking the ferocious attack.
The light waves crashed against the wall, creating ripples and scattering shimmering fragments, and the "Dorma Anim" was sent flying back from the rebound.
"This is the last time. Get ready—this guy is for you to handle. He's not as strong as you imagined. Use your full strength; that magic nullifier can't stop you!"
After blocking the attack from "Dorma Anim," Marco spoke to his companions behind him.
These kids needed opportunities to train, after all.
He couldn't always be there to protect every one of them.
Moreover, chances like this—where all three generations of the Dreyar family were present to back them up—were truly rare.
"Huh?!"
"Just us?!"
Marco's words caused an uproar and surprise among the group.
Some voiced their uncertainty, sounding a bit lacking in confidence.
But others instantly ignited with blazing fighting spirit in their eyes!
"That's even better! Watch me smash him to pieces!"
Natsu was the first to respond, his excitement making his hair seem ready to burst into flames.
He wished he could take on this monster alone.
With a "boom," intense flames erupted all over Natsu's body.
Swinging his blazing fist, he charged forward like a burning meteor.
As his "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist" shot out with scorching heat waves and blinding firelight, he was already picturing himself shattering "Dorma Anim" with a single punch.
"BOOM!"
"Dorma Anim" reacted swiftly, raising its arm to block.
The massive blade-like gauntlet gleamed with cold, hard metallic luster as it intercepted Natsu's fiery fist, bursting into a shower of brilliant sparks.
The enormous silver-armored dragon didn't budge an inch.
Then, with a sudden forceful swing of its arm, it flung Natsu away as if swatting a fly.
"Too weak! It's like being bitten by a mosquito AHAHAHAHHA!"
King Faust roared with laughter, his voice dripping with contempt.