Loke, no—Leo, the leader of the Zodiac Spirits.
The instant Natsu appeared, Leo moved at once to stand in front of his contracted Celestial Spirit Mage, Karen Lilica, his handsome face filled with vigilance and authority.
He could clearly sense Natsu's strength. As one of the most powerful spirits in the Celestial Spirit World aside from the Celestial Spirit King himself, Leo's true power had long surpassed the S-Class threshold. Unfortunately, how much strength a Celestial Spirit could exert in the human world depended entirely on the magical power of the mage with whom they were in contract.
And the magic power of his current contractor was insufficient to support him in fighting at full strength. That was why Leo was unusually wary of Natsu's sudden appearance.
Fortunately, what reassured him was that this mage, who had suddenly charged out, was not targeting them.
Natsu's fists were wreathed in flames as he unleashed the power of a dragon, smashing a punch straight toward the face of the masked, top-hatted freak.
Whoosh!
Natsu's assault was ferocious, but it was useless.
The moment he reached the freak, the flames wrapped around his fists abruptly vanished. In the instant Natsu exposed an opening, the freak drove a powerful kick into him, sending him flying.
"Damn it!" Natsu scrambled back to his feet, frustrated and furious.
Again, just like before.
When he and Erza had fought Ivan, it had been the same. Every time they launched an attack, their magic power would inexplicably disappear. If not for that, how could they have lost so badly?
"Ahhh!"
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"Fire Dragon's Claw!"
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!"
"Fire Dragon's Fang Crush!"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
Boom!
Natsu roared, unleashing a full dragon-style combo. While still airborne, he brought his hands together like a flute, a crimson magic circle instantly forming. A massive torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, blasting straight toward the freak.
Whooosh!
Overwhelming flames filled the air, the temperature of the area skyrocketing. Some of the surrounding trees even began to combust under the intense heat.
Leo's expression shifted. He quickly raised his hand and formed a thin barrier of magic in front of him, blocking the residual heat. With his strength, defending against mere aftershocks like this was unnecessary—but Karen behind him couldn't handle it. A Celestial Spirit Mage's combat ability was almost entirely reliant on their spirits.
Wave after wave of blazing fire surged toward the freak, yet he showed not the slightest hint of panic. He stood calmly in place. Only when the flames reached his immediate vicinity did he slowly raise a hand, palm facing the inferno, as strange magic suddenly bloomed.
Whoosh!
In an instant, everyone saw the endless flames vanish from midair, as if they had never existed at all.
This time, not only Natsu, but even Leo's pupils shrank sharply.
He had already noticed something strange about this man's magic during their earlier clash, but he never imagined it would be this bizarre, capable of completely erasing such a violent chain of attacks.
Compared to Natsu and Leo's shock, Ur had already grasped the freak's identity.
Obra.
One of the older members of the Raven Tail guild.
The magic he wielded was an eerie ability that could erase the magic power of others. In the original story, this magic was never fully explained, simply because Obra was one-shot by Laxus before he could truly display it.
"Karen, stay here. I'll go help that boy," Leo said. Although, as a Celestial Spirit, he hadn't had much interaction with Fairy Tail yet, he understood the meaning of a common enemy.
Unfortunately, before Leo could even finish speaking, the green-haired mage behind him immediately rejected the idea, her eyes cold as she said, "No. I refuse to let you leave my side. Since someone is already dealing with that monster, you just stay here and protect me."
"But that boy might not be able to handle the enemy alone!"
"I said you're not allowed to leave me. Or do you intend to disobey my orders?" Karen's gaze turned icy as she spoke.
Leo fell silent.
As a Celestial Spirit, under normal circumstances, it was difficult for him to defy the will of his contracted mage. That was the binding power of the contract.
Karen and Leo's exchange did not reach Natsu's ears—at the moment, Natsu was absorbed in brawling, unable to pull himself out.
But Ur heard every word.
He cast a strange glance at Karen. Though judging by appearances alone, Karen was indeed worthy of being featured as a monthly pin-up. Her carefully applied makeup and elegant, luxurious attire did give her the look of a refined "lady"—perfectly fitting Blue Pegasus' recruitment standards.
Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful the exterior, it was useless when the heart beneath was so utterly ugly.
Ur lightly shook his aching head, one hand resting on the hilt of the Dark Dragon Fang at his waist. He slowly rose to his feet atop the tree branch.
He had no intention of wasting any more time on these small fry.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
Next Chapter: An Absolute Gap in Strength
Next Next Chapter: Socializing
Next Next Next Chapter: Hitsuya