Chapter 272: Ren VS Jura
[It ended in an instant!! Orga's Black Lightning instantly defeated the ocean of tears!!]
The commentator's voice cracked, screaming into the magical microphone with a mix of disbelief and adrenaline.
Smoke billowed from the center of the arena, smelling of ozone and charred earth.
Warcry, the ace of Quatro Cerberus, lay motionless on the scorched ground. His body was still twitching spasmodically, arcs of black electricity dancing across his skin like malicious snakes.
[Too strong!! He is truly too strong!! Sabertooth!! As expected of the strongest Mage Guild in Fiore!! Just like Orga's magic!!]
"Oooohhhhh!!"
The stadium erupted. It wasn't just cheering; it was a roar of primal fear and awe.
"What happened? It was over in an instant?!"
"I didn't even see him cast a spell!"
"M-monster..."
Incredibly passionate cheers erupted from the audience stands, but beneath the noise, there was a palpable current of terror. Orga Nanagear hadn't just won; he had obliterated his opponent with a casual wave of his hand.
Lucy Heartfilia stood in the Fairy Tail booth, her hands gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white.
"So strong!!" she exclaimed, sweat trickling down her temple. "That black lightning... it felt different from Laxus's. It felt... heavier."
Unlike Rufus, who had toyed with Ren in a sophisticated game of hide-and-seek, Orga displayed the brutal, overwhelming efficiency that Sabertooth was famous for.
The strength of the "Invincible Guild" was immediately apparent to everyone. They were predators, and everyone else was prey.
"Couldn't you have made the atmosphere a bit more exciting, Orga?"
Sting Eucliffe, the White Dragon Slayer, leaned against the tunnel entrance, crossing his arms with a smirk.
He teased Orga, who had turned his back to the audience and was leaving the stage so quickly it seemed like he was late for dinner. "You ended it too fast. The crowd didn't even get time to warm up."
Orga stopped. His massive frame, draped in green furs, paused mid-step.
He thought for a moment, his hand stroking his chin.
"You're right," Orga grunted. "I should give them a show."
He turned around and walked back toward the center of the arena.
"W-wait, that's not what I meant..." Sting sweatdropped, realizing he might have unleashed something weird.
Orga walked onto the field, snatched the mic from the confused host, the pumpkin-headed mascot Mato.
He took a deep breath, his chest expanding like a barrel.
Then, he unleashed a sound that shattered eardrums.
"Strongest! Strongest! We, Sabertooth, are the strongest!!"
He sang. Loudly. Off-key.
It wasn't a melody; it was a declaration of war disguised as a song. His voice boomed through the magical amplifiers, causing the lacrima screens to vibrate.
Makarov covered his ears, wincing. "This guy's power is immense! Even his voice carries magic power!"
Romeo Conbolt watched with wide eyes, his expression serious. "I hate to admit it, but they really are too strong! That confidence... it's not fake."
[And now, we finally reach the last battle of the day!]
Chapati Lola, having recovered his microphone, tried to bring the chaotic atmosphere back to order.
[The remaining two teams are Fairy Tail Team A and Lamia Scale.]
[The hype is real! The clash of titans!]
[Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale VS Ren of Fairy Tail Team A!!!]
Silence fell over the arena for a split second as the name registered.
Then, the ground shook.
"It's him!!"
"It's Jura!!"
"I want to see Jura!!"
"The Iron Rock! The Human Fortress!"
When the audience heard that Jura was appearing, the atmosphere immediately grew fervent, reaching a fever pitch that far surpassed the reaction to Orga.
Ren, despite his dominating performance in the "Hidden" event, was momentarily forgotten. The spotlight was entirely on the bald, bearded man walking calmly out of the Lamia Scale tunnel.
[Contestant Ren has already been seen in the previous competitive event, where he easily defeated the other contestants with his strength. His opponent is the strongest ace in this competition, Jura Neekis, who bears the title of Ten Wizard Saints.]
"Go, Mr. Jura!!"
Sherria Blendy, the young God Slayer of the Sky, cheered him on, jumping up and down. "Show them the majesty of the earth!"
Yuka Suzuki confidently declared, adjusting his bushy eyebrows. "Victory definitely belongs to us. Against a Wizard Saint, no one stands a chance."
"Mr. Jura, good luck!"
Lyon Vastia cheered seriously. His hands were clenched tight.
He knew Jura better than anyone. He knew the sheer, insurmountable wall that Jura represented.
"If it were against anyone else, I'd already be celebrating," Lyon muttered to himself. "But Ren... Ren is an anomaly. Still, Mr. Jura is the Fifth strongest of the Ten Wizard Saints. He cannot lose."
"I'm going on stage."
A rare serious expression appeared on Jura's face.
He adjusted his white cape.
Given his strength, status, and age, participating in this kind of competition was undoubtedly a bit unfair to others. It was like a professional heavyweight boxer entering a high school tournament.
But against Ren?
Jura felt a tingle in his fingertips. His instincts screamed that this would not be a simple match.
"Against him, I can verify my own path," Jura thought. he truly wanted to have a proper match.
"It's Jura!!"
"Jura is entering the arena!!"
"It's the man himself!!"
Seeing Jura enter the arena, the cheers from the audience seats grew louder.
He didn't run. He didn't fly. He walked.
But each step seemed to carry the weight of a mountain. The magical pressure radiating from him was heavy, grounded, and utterly stable. It was the presence of a master.
"That guy named Jura is really popular."
Levy McGarden said in surprise, feeling the vibrations in the floor.
"Levy, didn't you know? He is one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
Jet explained, his face pale. "He's not just strong. He's a national hero."
"He holds the same title as our Master," Droy added, munching on a snack nervously. "Imagine fighting Master Makarov. That's what Ren is doing."
Alzack Connell checked his gun, shaking his head. "I didn't expect Ren to run into Jura right away. That's quite unlucky! The finals usually save the best for last."
Makarov sat on the railing, his eyes shadowed.
He looked at Jura, then at Ren.
"It is unlucky," Makarov calmly replied.
Everyone looked at the Master, expecting him to worry about Ren.
But Makarov smirked.
"But the unlucky one isn't Ren—it's Jura."
"I'm entering the stage."
Ren stepped onto the stage.
In contrast to Jura's majestic entrance, Ren walked with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was taking a stroll in the park.
His black hair fluttered in the wind. His expression was bored, almost lethargic.
Erza Scarlet shouted from the balcony, her voice cutting through the noise. "Ren! Go out there and have a great fight!! Show them the spirit of Fairy Tail!"
Natsu Dragneel jumped onto the railing, spewing fire. "Ren! I still want to see that Nine-Tailed Demon Fox form!! Blow him away with a Tailed Beast Bomb!"
"Stop messing around! If Ren transforms into that form, the entire venue will disappear!"
Gray Fullbuster yelled, grabbing Natsu's scarf. "Do you want to kill the audience?! That fox is a calamity!"
Lucy nodded frantically. "Please, anything but the giant fox monster!"
Ren met Jura in the center of the arena. The height difference was apparent—Jura was a giant of a man—but Ren's presence was not diminished in the slightest.
"Your Excellency Ren, deep down, I really want Fairy Tail to win," Jura said politely, his voice deep and resonant like shifting tectonic plates. "You've seen the state of our Granny Ooba. If we lose, her punishment game is... severe. So, I will give it my all."
Ren replied casually, "Don't worry about it. I also want to spar with Mr. Jura. After all, it's rare to encounter an expert like you. A Wizard Saint is the perfect testing dummy for my new toys."
"That's good then!"
Jura said, nodding. He appreciated the honesty.
He then turned to the host, the pumpkin mascot Mato.
"Host, please open the Defensive Barrier. Preferably the largest, strongest one you have."
Jura paused, his eyes narrowing. "I don't want our battle to affect the innocent spectators outside the ring."
"T-that shouldn't be necessary! The arena is huge..." Mato stammered. "And the standard shields are active..."
"The arena is large, and it might be completely sufficient for other Mages," Jura interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But for those at the level of the Ten Wizard Saints... and for the monster standing before me... this venue is still too small."
"W-well, alright!"
Pumpkin Head sensed the gravity of the situation. He immediately signaled the venue staff.
Swish swish swish!!
Magical runes flared to life around the perimeter of the battlefield.
A translucent, hexagonal Defensive Barrier rose from the inner wall of the arena, encasing the combatants in a birdcage of light. The air inside hummed with contained power.
"A barrier?!"
"They actually need to activate a barrier?!"
"Is it going to be that destructive?"
Barriers were rarely activated at the Grand Magic Games venue, as magic seldom had the range to strike the audience stands. The crowd fell silent, realizing the danger level had just spiked.
"This way, we can both fight with our full strength."
Jura said to Ren, taking a combat stance. The earth cracked beneath his boots.
Jura's magic was heavy. He knew that if he unleashed his Iron Rock magic freely, debris would kill people.
But more importantly, this Magic Barrier was mainly opened for Ren.
Jura's instincts, honed over decades, told him that Ren was holding back something terrifying. He wanted Ren to fight unrestrained.
[Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale VS Ren of Fairy Tail Team A!]
[The final match of the day begins————!!]
"Your Excellency Ren, transform!" Jura commanded. Magic power exploded from him, turning the air yellow with earthen energy.
Ren stood still.
Jura Neekis, Ren thought, analyzing his opponent. Iron Rock Magic. Extremely high physical defense, high magical density. He can manipulate the earth instantly. Fighting him with brute force is possible, maybe with Whitebeard or Espada forms... but that's messy.
To break an absolute defense, you don't need a stronger hammer.
You need to attack the mind.
"Let me think about which transformation is better. Hmm, I've decided, I'll use this one!"
Ren smiled. It was a cold smile.
"Full Body Take Over: Uchiha Itachi!"
The air temperature dropped.
Suddenly, a flock of black crows materialized from nowhere, swirling around Ren's body, obscuring him from view.
"Caw! Caw!"
The sound was piercing, echoing unnaturally in the arena.
When the crows scattered, Ren was gone.
In his place stood a man in a long, black cloak adorned with red clouds—the uniform of the Akatsuki.
His collar stood high, hiding his chin. One arm was slung casually inside the robe's opening.
But the most terrifying change was his eyes.
The sclera was white, but the irises were blood-red. Three black tomoe spun slowly, then merged into a complex, pinwheel design.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
Ren casually tucked one arm into the front of his robe, looking both relaxed and composed. He emanated a strange, alien pressure—not just Magic Power, but Chakra—that felt cold and sharp, like a blade pressed against the throat.
"Huh? Is that a new transformation?"
Natsu blinked. "He looks... kinda skinny compared to the Fox or the Giant."
Few members of Fairy Tail knew about this particular transformation of Ren; only Elfman and Evergreen had seen it during the S-Class Trials on Tenrou Island.
"No!" Evergreen shivered violently, hugging herself. Her face went pale.
"Ren used this transformation during the evaluation on Tenrou Island. This transformation is also terrifying. No, it's worse than the others."
She pointed at the screens, her finger trembling. "Especially those eyes. Whatever you do, do not look directly into his eyes!"
"What about those eyes?"
Bickslow asked curiously, his floating tiki dolls tilting their heads. Every member of the Thunder God Tribe practices Eye Magic, so he was intrigued. "Is it a Stone Eye variant?"
"The moment Elfman, Ren, and I made eye contact, I fell under a Genjutsu," Evergreen whispered, fear etched in her voice.
"Genjutsu? An illusion?"
"Yes! But not a normal illusion. An extremely, extremely powerful Genjutsu! Time, space, mass... everything was under his control. I lived through days of torture in a single second. That feeling of being out of control was even more frightening than my Stone Eye."
She gulped. "That form... is the master of mental destruction."
Jura stood his ground, but he frowned.
He felt it too. A prickling sensation on his skin. A warning.
"A transformation I haven't seen before," Jura said in surprise, his voice steady but cautious. "Is it a new one?"
Ren nodded: "Sort of!"
He opened his eyes fully, the red pinwheels spinning lazily.
"This is the form I use when I want to end things... efficiently."
"Alright then, let me see what powerful magic this transformation possesses!"
Jura knew that Ren had many transformations.
Whether it was the Whitebeard transformation used to defeat Jose Porla, crushing atmospheric vibrations...
Whether it was the Gojo Satoru transformation used to warp space against Oración Seis...
Or the Ulquiorra transformation that fired nukes at Master Zero...
All these transformations shared one common trait: immense power.
Since Ren could use this transformation, it must also be extraordinary.
Jura slammed his palms together.
Boom!
Giant stone pillars erupted from the ground behind him, hovering in the air like obedient missiles.
"Here I come!"