Crack!
The cheap sword collided with the pitch-black scales, producing a crisp, almost pleasant sound. A broken half-blade, its edge riddled with chips, flashed past Ur's eyes, catching a glint of light before clattering to the ground.
The sword snapped.
The secondhand sword that poor Ur had spent a full 1,000J on finally carried its boundless resentment to its inevitable end.
Once upon a time, it had been a serviceable blade. Maybe it hadn't bathed in enemy blood, but it had seen its fair share of battles.
But ever since it changed owners, everything went wrong. It was like switching worlds instead of masters.
Just look at the enemies it has faced since then.
Every single one was a nightmare—terrifying monsters it had never encountered before, the kind that could probably shatter it just by sneezing. Well, fighting them was a lot more exciting than before.
But for a blade that was truly, genuinely, utterly ordinary, the pressure was too much.
Even though it didn't understand how it had lasted this long. Worst of all, its current owner never once maintained it after a fight.
Good thing it couldn't talk.
Otherwise, even the cheap sword couldn't guarantee it wouldn't one day commit the ultimate taboo—turning on its master.
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Ur wasn't surprised in the slightest by his weapon breaking. His expression didn't change at all. After using it for so long, he knew exactly what kind of junk it was.
The instant the blade snapped, Ur reacted without hesitation. He twisted at the waist and leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the black-scaled beast's sweeping iron tail. At the same time, he hurled out an Earth Spike spell, forcibly interrupting the monster's attack rhythm.
The two separated.
His face was a little pale, and the fluctuations of magic power within his body were steadily weakening. He didn't have much magic power left to begin with, and fighting such a powerful monster caused his reserves to drain uncontrollably fast. The pressure on him skyrocketed.
"Ur, I'll help you!" From afar, Natsu noticed Ur's situation and rushed over in a panic, launching an attack the moment he arrived.
Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!
Flames wrapped around Natsu's fists as he slammed a blazing punch into the black-scaled beast with impressive momentum.
The monster paused.
"ROOOAAR!!"
Smack!
It was like being bitten by a mosquito. The beast merely turned its head slightly to glance at Natsu, then flicked its tail and sent him flying.
Natsu had only just stepped into A-Class territory not long ago. Unless he powered up explosively, there was no way his current strength could threaten this monster.
But Natsu didn't believe that for a second. With the determination of someone who wouldn't turn back until he smashed into a wall, he roared.
"Come on!" He charged, only to be swatted away again.
No pause in between whatsoever.
"Damn it!" Natsu was furious, but before he could attack again, Erza and Gray stopped him.
"Wait, Natsu. Don't rush in!" Erza stood in front of him, staring grimly at the black-scaled beast.
She could clearly feel it. This monster was no weaker than she was. Even though she had passed the S-Class mage exam, she still wasn't strong enough to completely overpower a magical beast comparable to an A-Class peak mage.
And worse still, its attribute was deadly poison. Who knew what other twisted magic it might be hiding?
"Gray!" Erza suddenly called out.
"Yeah, I know!"
Gray responded and stepped forward, then promptly stripped off all his clothes, leaving only his underwear.
Erza: "..."
Natsu: "..."
Ur: "..."
None of them had any idea what was going on.
"Ice-Make, Great Hammer!"
Completely unfazed by their reactions, the newly liberated Gray cast his spell and attacked.
A massive ice hammer several meters long formed in midair and smashed down toward the black-scaled beast.
Boom!
The ice hammer struck the monster square on the head, then shattered.
"ROOOAAR!!" The beast shook its head.
After being provoked repeatedly by these puny humans, it finally snapped. Its roar shook the battlefield as terrifying magic power erupted outward, causing Natsu and the others to pale.
Hiss—whoosh!
The black-scaled beast opened its mouth and spewed a cloud of mist. Purple fumes swirled within it, flickering with an eerie glow. Just looking at it from afar made one's hair stand on end.
"Watch out!" Erza shouted and reacted instantly.
Requip, Adamantine Armor!
The swords floating around her vanished, replaced by two massive shields that could lock together as one. Holding them firm, Erza charged straight into the purple mist.
Sizzle… sizzle…
The moment the shields touched the mist, they began corroding at an alarming rate. In just a few seconds, their thickness was reduced by half.
This shocked even Erza.
After all, the Adamantine Armor was said to possess absolute defense.
"Damn it! Then try this—Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Natsu roared, leaping out from behind the shields. His chest expanded as he gathered power, cheeks bulging before unleashing a massive torrent of flames straight at the black-scaled beast.
At the same time, Gray attacked as well, smashing his right fist into his left palm as powerful ice magic rapidly gathered around him.
Ice-Make, Lance!
Boom!
Whoosh!
Ice and fire—two completely opposing magics—hit the black-scaled beast simultaneously, detonating a violent surge of magic power on the spot.
Whether intentional or not, Ur's presence had already begun to twist the course of this world in unpredictable ways. Without him, cooperation between Natsu and Gray would likely have been impossible until much later in the story. With their combined attack cutting off the poisonous mist, Erza seized the opening and counterattacked.
Requip, Purgatory Armor!
Jet-black armor wrapped around her body, and a two-meter-long serrated greatblade appeared in her hands. Her aura shifted instantly.
With her strongest destructive armor equipped, Erza leapt into the air and struck.
Slash!
The serrated blade tore into the black-scaled beast's body, ripping open a massive wound as blood sprayed everywhere.
"ROOOAAR!!"
The beast flew into a rage, raising a claw and slamming Erza away.
Before she could even hit the ground, the black-scaled beast suddenly burst forward with shocking speed, closing the distance in an instant and bringing its claw down again.
"Erza!" Natsu and Gray cried out in horror. They desperately tried to rush to her aid, but their speed was nowhere near enough.
At that moment, Ur made his move.
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Next Chapter: Erza's Overthinking
Next Next Chapter: The Belated Magic Council
Next Next Next Chapter: The End