Chapter 273: Yasaka Magatama
Jura raised a single finger. It was a simple, minute movement, yet it triggered an immediate terrestrial upheaval.
Rumble—!!!
The ground beneath Ren's feet screamed as gravity seemed to invert. Massive pillars of reinforced earth, harder than steel, erupted from the arena floor with the speed of bullets.
Boom boom boom!!
Ren's reaction was instantaneous. His crimson eyes—the Sharingan—tracked the flow of magic power beneath the soil. He backflipped, his body twisting in mid-air with acrobatic grace, narrowly avoiding a jagged spike that sought to impale him.
As he flipped, Ren's hands moved in a blur, weaving signs.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
He flung several Kunai towards the bald Wizard Saint. These weren't ordinary weapons; they were laced with explosive tags.
"Hmph!"
Jura didn't even flinch. He merely twitched his finger again.
Crack!
A slab of bedrock peeled upward from the ground, forming a perfect shield. The Kunai struck the stone and detonated harmlessly, leaving only scorch marks on the polished surface of the Iron Rock.
Ren landed lightly and immediately inhaled deeply, his chest expanding as he converted the energy within him.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
ROAR—!!!!
A sphere of searing orange flame, easily ten meters in diameter, erupted from Ren's mouth. The heat was intense enough to distort the air across the entire stadium, rushing towards Jura like a mini-sun.
"Iron Rock Wall!"
Jura's voice was calm. The defensive wall before him thickened instantly, turning a dark, metallic grey.
Boom—!!!!
The fireball collided with the wall, exploding into a wave of heat and smoke. But before the smoke could clear, Jura went on the offensive. He thrust his palm forward.
"Iron Rock Fist!"
From the smoke, a gigantic arm made of solid rock, segmented like a golem's limb, punched through the lingering flames. It slammed down towards Ren with the weight of a falling building.
Ren side-stepped, his movements fluid. However, Jura was already anticipating him.
"Turn."
Jura wiggled his fingers. The giant rock arm defied momentum, twisting in the air like a snake made of stone to chase Ren.
"Tch."
Ren was forced to cross his arms to block the grazing blow, skidding back several meters, dust kicking up around his heels. For a brief moment, the untouchable Ace of Fairy Tail appeared... disheveled.
"Ren is being suppressed?!"
In the Fairy Tail viewing balcony, the tension was palpable. Jet and Droy, members of the Seven Year Group, gripped the railing, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"No way... Ren-san is dodging frantically?"
"Why doesn't Ren use a more powerful transformation!" Romeo shouted, clutching his knees. "He has the power to destroy islands! Why use these small fire tricks?"
Everyone in Fairy Tail knew that Ren's Take Over: Anime Soul held forms of god-like power. Yet, this current form—a man in a black cloak with red clouds—seemed reliant on basic ninja tools and fire breath.
"Hahaha! Makarov, did you see?! Spin, spin, spin!"
On the Lamia Scale balcony, Ooba Babasaama was cackling maniacally, spinning her arms.
"In these seven years since you disappeared, my Jura hasn't been idling! He has risen to the fifth position among the Ten Wizard Saints! He is the Iron Rock of Fiore!"
Ooba Babasaama puffed out her chest. In the past, Ren had defeated Jose Porla, the 7th Saint. Combined with the destruction of the Oración Seis, Fairy Tail had firmly secured its position as the number one Mage Guild. But time was a cruel mistress. Seven years had passed. Fairy Tail had slept, while Lamia Scale had climbed.
"Though no matter what, he can't catch up to the four above him..." Sherry Blendy sighed, watching the match with worry despite her Guild Master's confidence.
"Don't mention those guys again! I'll make you spin!!"
"Eeeek!"
Ooba Babasaama wiggled her fingers, and Sherry, controlled by the Master's magic, began pirouetting uncontrollably.
"The Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar..." Makarov murmured, ignoring the comedy routine next door. His eyes were locked on the battle. "God Serena, Draculos Hyberion, Wolfheim, and Warrod... those guys can no longer be considered human. They are deities of this continent. That means Jura, at rank five, is effectively the strongest Mage among humans."
Makarov watched the precision of Jura's earth manipulation. It wasn't just magic; it was an extension of his will.
"This magic power... it can already compare to Gildarts seven years ago!"
He hadn't expected Jura to grow to such a level. The bald man had truly polished his spirit and magic to perfection.
Of course, despite his surprise, Makarov remained composed. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mustache.
'Jura is indeed the strongest Mage among humans,' Makarov thought. 'But Ren... that brat has already transcended the category of 'human' long ago. Let alone Jura, even if the Gods of Ishgar descended, I wouldn't bet against my child.'
"Hah!!"
In the arena, Jura let out a low roar. His magic power spiked, turning the very atmosphere heavy.
"Iron Rock Formation: Rumbling Mount!"
Countless slabs of rock rose around Ren, closing in from all sides like a crushing maw. There was no escape route; the sky was blocked by arching pillars, the ground was shifting sand.
Boom—!!!!
The Iron Rock Walls collided in the center, crushing the space where Ren stood. The impact was deafening, a thunderclap of grinding stone that sent a shockwave rippling through the barrier. A massive mushroom cloud of dust rose into the air.
"Did he get him?"
"He must have gotten him! That was a full-force crush!"
"Even Ren can't take that directly!"
Many in the audience stood up, thinking the match was decided. Ren's current transformation seemed far too fragile compared to the hulking durability of Jura's earth magic.
"Eh?! What's that?!"
A strange, eerie light began to pierce through the settling dust. It wasn't the warm orange of fire, but a dark, spectral crimson.
Buzz...
A low hum, like the vibration of a massive bell, resonated through the stadium.
The smoke dispersed violently. Ren stood in his original spot, unharmed. But he was no longer unprotected.
Surrounding him was a ribcage.
It was constructed of pure, solidified energy—translucent orange-red bones that radiated a terrifying, malevolent aura. The Iron Rock pillars that had attempted to crush him were held at bay, pressed against the indestructible spectral vertebrae.
[System: Susanoo - Stage 1 Activated.]
"I knew it... Your Excellency Ren's transformation wouldn't be that simple!"
Jura didn't look disappointed. Instead, a fierce grin broke across his stoic face. He had expected this. He wanted this.
"Mr. Jura is amazing! His magic application is truly masterful," Ren spoke from within the ribcage, his voice amplified by the energy construct.
Ren deactivated the basic Sharingan. His pupils morphed. The three tomoe spun and merged into a pinwheel design—the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Your mastery of magic has reached a high level. You can easily use magic with every move, and your application is no less impressive than Hades' was seven years ago," Ren praised genuinely.
"However," Ren's eyes widened, blood trickling slightly from the corner of his eye. "Since that's the case, I won't hold back either."
VWOOOM!
The atmosphere screamed. The ribs around Ren's body began to grow rapidly, knitting together with spectral muscle and sinew.
"Form!"
In an instant, the ribcage expanded upwards. A skull formed, followed by massive arms. A giant, orange-red energy skeleton, easily ten meters tall, towered over the arena.
Susanoo.
"What is that?!"
"It's... a monster made of magic power?!"
"So cool—!" Natsu yelled, practically hanging off the balcony. "It's a giant fire skeleton!"
"Iron Rock Fist!!"
Jura reacted instantly to the threat. He thrust both hands forward. The ground merged to create a fist double the size of the previous one, aiming straight for the Susanoo's sternum.
Ren didn't dodge. He stood still, arms crossed.
The Susanoo mirrored him. The skeletal arm swept forward.
Boom—!!!!
The collision shook the stadium foundations. The Susanoo's fist smashed directly into the Iron Rock Fist.
CRACK!
Debris flew everywhere. Jura's Iron Rock, known for being harder than steel, shattered like cheap porcelain against the ethereal density of the Uchiha's avatar.
"What?!"
Jura was startled. He had poured significant mana into that strike.
Ren pushed off with his legs, leaping into mid-air. The Susanoo followed his movements perfectly, floating with him. The giant skeletal fist pulled back, gathering momentum.
"Take this."
SMASH!
The fist slammed down towards Jura.
BOOM—!!!!
A huge explosion erupted into the sky. A terrifying impact ring spread outwards, visible to the naked eye.
"Hold the barriers!!" the Rune Knights shouted.
The audience gasped as the magical shields flickered and groaned under the pressure. The impact was visceral; they could feel the vibration in their teeth.
From the crater, a figure dashed out backwards. Jura was panting, his coat torn. He pointed a finger while sliding back.
"Iron Rock Spikes!"
Hundreds of spears surged from the ground, aiming to skewer the Susanoo from below.
Ren controlled the Susanoo to casually backhand them, snapping the stone pillars like twigs.
"Hmph!"
Jura gritted his teeth. He twisted his hands, controlling the debris of the shattered pillars. "Iron Rock Storm!"
The broken rocks curved in the air, attacking Ren from behind, aiming for the blind spot.
The Susanoo didn't even turn. It simply rotated its skeletal torso, its backhand swing obliterating the sneak attack.
Boom—!
"Useless," Ren stated coldly.
"Iron Rock Pillars: Maximum Output!!"
Jura roared, slamming his palms onto the ground. The entire arena floor disintegrated. A forest of massive pillars, each the size of a tower, rushed towards Ren from all directions, attempting to bury him in a mountain of earth.
Boom boom boom boom boom!!
The sheer mass pushed the Susanoo back. The giant skeleton skidded, its feet carving trenches into the bedrock.
"He's pushing it back!" Ooba Babasaama cheered.
But inside the orange avatar, Ren's expression was bored.
"Is that all?"
Flash!
The Susanoo's body flared. Energy flesh rapidly grew over the bones. Skin formed. Armor manifested. The skeleton transformed into a Warrior God, growing two additional arms.
A Shura.
Simultaneously, its two left hands rose. The energy coalesced, spinning rapidly to form three giant orange-red beads connected by a spectral cord. They burned with spiritual flame.
Yasaka Magatama.
"Rock Mountain: Mount Fuji!!"
Seeing the three magatama in Ren's hand, Jura's senses screamed of imminent death. His expression drastically changed. He poured every ounce of his remaining magic power into the earth.
A giant mountain, shaped like the head of a war god, rose from the ground. It was dense, layered with iron minerals, the absolute strongest defense Jura could conjure.
"Go."
Ren swung the Susanoo's arm.
"Yasaka Magatama!!"
The three spinning jewels flew through the air, tearing a vacuum tunnel as they went.
In an instant, the ultimate offense met the ultimate defense.
BOOM————!!!!
The sound was gone. For a split second, there was only blinding light.
Then, the roar arrived.
A terrifying explosion erupted, dwarfing anything seen in the tournament so far. A mushroom cloud of dust and energy engulfed the arena. The shockwave slammed into the surrounding barrier with the force of a hurricane.
CRACK!
Spiderwebs appeared on the protective enchantments.
"Whoa ah ah ah!"
"The barrier is breaking?!"
"Ugh ah ah ah!"
Spectators covered their heads, screaming as the stadium shook violently.
After a long, tense minute, the dust began to settle.
The War God Mountain... the pride of the Iron Rock... had been obliterated. It was reduced to gravel.
And in the center of the devastation stood Jura. He was still on his feet, but barely. His clothes were shredded, blood streamed from his forehead, and he was panting heavily, his magic reserves drained.
Opposite him, the Susanoo faded slowly, revealing Ren, who hadn't even broken a sweat.
"What..."
"That Jura actually..."
"He broke through Jura's defense like it was paper..."
"What kind of magic is that guy using?! The power is too terrifying!!"
The audience was astonished. That was Jura Neekis, the fifth-ranked Ten Wizard Saint, the man said to be the strongest human. And he had been crushed.
Many in Fairy Tail were also dumbfounded. Although they had long known that Ren's transformations were all incredibly powerful, witnessing the Susanoo in person was a different beast entirely. This wasn't just magic; it was calamity.