Chapter 274: I Give Up, I Give Up
"As expected of Jura Neekis, the Iron Rock Saint. To be able to block even that move... magnificent."
Ren stood suspended within the ribcage of the ethereal orange avatar, looking down at the Wizard Saint who had managed to defend against the initial strike.
His voice was calm, amplified by the magical construct around him, echoing across the silent arena like the judgment of a deity.
"Well then, since you've survived the warm-up, I suppose I should get serious now!"
As Ren spoke, the air in the Domus Flau grew heavy and hot. He flared his chakra, increasing the pupil power output of his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Hummmmm—!
The skeletal giant surrounding him roared silently. Muscles knit together over bone, skin formed over muscle, and finally, ornate, fiery armor manifested, clothing the titan in the regalia of a Yamabushi ascetic. The incomplete Susanoo evolved before the eyes of thousands, transforming into its Armored Form.
It towered over the arena, a burning orange god of destruction.
In its left hand, a massive ethereal shield materialized. It wasn't a solid metal shield, but a swirling vortex of spiritual energy held by a secondary spectral arm.
"That is the Yata Mirror," Ren murmured to himself, knowing the lore of the card he was using. "A bodiless Spirit Weapon endowed with all five nature transformations. It changes its own attributes based on the attribute of the incoming attack to completely nullify it. Whether it's physical or magical, nothing can penetrate this defense."
Swoosh—!
In its right hand, the avatar grasped a giant, gourd-like sake jar. From the mouth of the gourd, a liquid flame erupted, solidifying into a long, undulating blade that glowed with a terrifying sealing energy.
"And this," Ren's eyes narrowed, "is the Sword of Totsuka."
It was a variant of the legendary Kusanagi Sword. It wasn't a weapon meant for killing, but for removing existence. The blade could rapidly retract and extend, and it was imbued with the highest level of Fūinjutsu (Sealing Jutsu). Anyone or anything pierced by this blade would be trapped inside the gourd within a genjutsu world of drunken stupor for all eternity.
This was the Divine Arsenal possessed by Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo.
Ren felt a pang of phantom melancholy as he wielded this power. In the original story, Itachi did not possess the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. His eyes were bleeding, his body was ravaged by a terminal illness, and he was nearly blind. He couldn't stabilize the Perfect Susanoo like his brother Sasuke or Madara.
Yet, even in that weakened state, Itachi was invincible.
Ren recalled the final battle between the brothers. Itachi wasn't just "holding back water"; he was holding back an entire ocean. From the very beginning, his goal was never to kill Sasuke, but to purge the curse mark and lure out Orochimaru. He knew the Snake Sannin didn't covet Sasuke's body as much as he coveted the eyes of the Uchiha.
Itachi had fought on the brink of death, calculated every move, and purposely exhausted himself to create an opening. And when the Eight-Headed Serpent emerged, Itachi sealed it in a single strike.
"Even without the Perfect Susanoo, Uchiha Itachi's strength was immeasurable," Ren thought. "He is the only man in Naruto who truly never suffered a defeat, except the one he chose for himself."
Now, Ren wielded that invincible power without the drawbacks of illness or blindness.
Ren casually swung his right arm.
The Totsuka Blade, extending nearly a hundred meters, slashed horizontally across the arena floor. He didn't even aim at Jura; it was a warning shot.
Boom—!!
The sound came a second later, a deafening thunderclap that shattered eardrums.
A large section of the arena ground suddenly exploded into dust. The magically reinforced stone, designed to withstand dragon-slaying magic, disintegrated like tofu. Half of the Grand Magic Games arena floor simply ceased to exist, replaced by a massive, glowing ravine. The shockwave slammed into the defensive barrier protecting the audience, causing the translucent dome to ripple and crack violently.
Gasp—!!
The dust settled slowly.
Everyone who saw this scene was stunned into absolute silence. The popcorn fell from hands; drinks were forgotten. The sheer scale of destruction from a casual swing was beyond their comprehension.
Ren looked down from his high vantage point within the Susanoo's forehead crystal. He turned his gaze to Jura, who was standing on a small island of rock amidst the destruction.
"Come on! Let's continue!" Ren challenged, raising the Totsuka Blade again.
Jura Neekis, the fifth-ranked Wizard Saint, looked at the flaming sword that could cut mountains. He looked at his own trembling hands. He looked at the Iron Rock Wall he was preparing—a spell that felt like paper mache in the face of this god.
"No, no, no!!"
Jura frantically waved his hands, dropping his battle stance immediately. His bald head was slick with sweat.
"Forget it! I surrender! I give up!"
"Eh?" Ren paused.
"I admit defeat!" Jura shouted, bowing deeply. "Fight this monster? Are you kidding me? I value my life!"
Just now, his strongest defensive magic, Iron Rock Wall, was shattered by a single blow from Ren's previous, weaker form. That was just the skeletal ribcage. This current armored titan was clearly dimensions apart in power.
That casual swing had cleaved the earth. If Ren actually aimed for him with killing intent, Jura knew he wouldn't just lose; he would be erased. He would be sealed in that gourd forever.
"I am a Wizard Saint," Jura thought, wiping his brow. "But I am not suicidal. A true fight requires at least a chance of victory. This... this is an execution."
The stadium remained silent for a solid ten seconds.
Then, the announcer's voice broke through the shock, stuttering.
[The... the w... w... winner has been decided!!!!]
[The winner!!! By surrender!! Fairy Tail Team A! Ren!!!]
Rumble—!!!
Hearing the judge's announcement, the paralyzed audience members slowly regained their senses. The roar that followed was chaotic, a mix of terror and excitement.
"Wha... what was that?!"
"That Jura actually lost?! He surrendered?!"
"He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints! The Iron Rock! He gave up without fighting?!"
"Ten Wizard Saints? Are you stupid? Ren defeated a Wizard Saint—Jose Porla—seven years ago! And he destroyed the Nirvana weapon! He was a monster back then, and he's a bigger monster now!"
"M-monster!!"
The audience exploded in chatter, all discussing Ren. The members of Fairy Tail were no different, their expressions barely better than the rest of the crowd.
"Just how many transformations does Ren have?!" Lucy cried out, clutching her head. "First the white-haired vibration guy, then the fox, now this giant flaming warrior?!"
"Why is every one of these transformations more monstrous than the last!!" Gray shouted, feeling a mix of rivalry and despair. "How are we supposed to catch up to this?!"
Just when they thought they had seen Ren's limit, he would pull out another card, each stronger and more ridiculous than the last. Although the raw destructive power of this Susanoo might not cover as wide an area as the Kurama Mode (Nine-Tailed Fox) Tailed Beast Bomb, the concentrated lethality and defense seemed even higher.
Lamia Scale Area
"Mr. Jura actually... lost?!"
Sherria Blendy covered her mouth, her eyes wide with incredulity. To her, Jura was the immovable object, the pillar of their guild. Seeing him surrender so frantically shattered her worldview.
"Oh, oh!" Toby Horhorta opened his mouth wide, his tongue lolling out in disbelief. "Granny is going to spin him to death!"
Lyon Vastia stood with his arms crossed, staring intently at the dissolving orange avatar. He was shocked, but unlike the others, he wasn't surprised by the outcome.
"As expected of Mr. Ren," Lyon muttered, a complex expression on his face. "Even after losing seven years of time... even after we trained desperately to bridge the gap... he is still standing on a peak we can't even see."
He clenched his fist. "Incomparable. He is simply incomparable to other Mages."
Blue Pegasus Area
"Mr. Ren is Mr. Ren!"
Hibiki Lates shook his head with emotion, adjusting his glasses which were sliding down his nose. "He defies data."
Seven years ago, during the battle against the Oración Seis and the Nirvana, the Allied Forces had struggled. They had fought for their lives against individual members. But Ren? Ren had almost single-handedly annihilated the enemy leadership.
"The strength he displayed back then was terrifying," Eve added. "And now... he seems even more dreadful. That armor... it felt ancient."
Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki sniffed the air deeply, his face serious.
"What a truly terrible scent..." Ichiya said poetically. "The parfum of a King who has no equal. It smells of burning sake and overwhelming victory. Men... we must work harder."
The Trimens nodded in strong agreement.
Mermaid Heel Area
"Is that... Ren?"
Araña Webb, who had just recovered from her defeat, looked at the man in the arena with undisguised fear in her eyes. "I fought someone from the same guild, but... that Ren is a different creature entirely. His power exceeds the scope of my understanding."
"Yes! That is Ren!"
Millianna cheered, giggling and hugging a cat cushion. "He's amazing, right? Although the power displayed by Ren in this form is terrifying, for me, the most breathtaking moment was still when he diverted the Etherion blast fired by the Magic Council seven years ago! He saved us all!"
"Kagura, what do you think?" Millianna turned to look at their leader.
Kagura Mikazuchi stood still, gripping the hilt of her sword, Archenemy, so tightly her knuckles were white.
"Extremely strong," Kagura said, her voice devoid of emotion, though her eyes betrayed her. "I am not his opponent."
She watched Ren as the Susanoo faded. On the surface, she remained the stoic swordswoman. But inside, her heart was churning like a stormy sea. She prided herself on her swordsmanship, on her ability to cut through anything.
But that blade... the Totsuka Blade...
That was not a sword, Kagura thought. That was a concept given form. If I drew Archenemy against that... would I even be able to cut? Or would I be sealed away before I could unsheathe my blade?
She instantly understood the gap. It was an abyss.
Raven Tail Area
"Ren... Hmph! You really got yourself one formidable subordinate, Dad!"
Ivan Dreyar, the Master of Raven Tail and Makarov's exiled son, watched from the shadows. His expression was ugly, twisted with envy and calculation.
The strength Ren displayed left him with lingering fear. He had planned to crush Fairy Tail, to humiliate them. But Ren was a variable he hadn't fully accounted for.
"Fortunately," Ivan whispered, glancing at the small creature on the shoulder of his armored subordinate, "the subordinates I cultivated over the years possess special abilities designed to counter magic. Obra's power can neutralize even high-level mages."
"We can't confront this guy head-on," the masked Alexei (Ivan in disguise) muttered to his team. "If we were to clash with this guy directly, all five of us combined likely wouldn't be a match for this little monster. We must use cunning. We must target the others."
Sabertooth Area
"Th-that guy... how can he be so strong?!"
Orga Nanagear, the Lightning God Slayer who had just one-shot his opponent, now looked like a frightened child. His eyes were wide, staring at the destruction. "My black lightning... could it even scratch that armor?"
Cold sweat broke out on Sting Eucliffe's forehead. The blond Dragon Slayer forced a stiff, shaky smile.
"This is Mr. Ren!" Sting said, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and fanboy excitement. "His strength is even more terrifying than seven years ago! Lector, did you see that sword?!"
"I saw it, Sting-kun!" Lector the Exceed hid behind Sting's leg.
Seven years ago, Sting had been a younger, weaker mage. He had idolized Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander. But then he had witnessed the power of Ren. He had learned what a true powerhouse was. The sheer dominance Ren exuded had shifted his admiration. Natsu was strong, but Ren was invincible.
"Yes! It's hard to imagine how strong he would be if those seven years hadn't been lost!"
Rogue Cheney, the Shadow Dragon Slayer, stood beside him. He was usually stoic, but now his hands were clenched tight.
Rogue had also watched the events of the past. He had originally admired Gajeel Redfox, his senior in the Iron Dragon style. But what he saw back then was the miserable sight of Gajeel being beaten by Ren without any ability to fight back. It was a complete domination.
He didn't change his idol like Sting did—he still respected Gajeel—but Ren's performance today reinforced a hard truth.
"There is always someone better," Rogue whispered, staring at the black-haired mage leaving the arena. "The sky is the limit. And Ren... he is flying above the clouds."