Skullion had already made his decision.
'They're far stronger than we expected. We should retreat for now.'
Kiria had lost the ability to fight, while Wraith had outright defected.
No—Skullion had heard what Wraith said. It would be more accurate to say that he had finally returned to where he belonged.
Madmole was technically still conscious, but with both arms broken, he was not much better off.
As for Nebaru, he had practically chosen to die the moment he activated Dragon Force.
'Still, we need to destroy the fifth crystal before leaving... They clearly have no idea what these crystals are for.'
Raizel, Ultear, and the others had shown no concern for the crystal at all. During the battle, Skullion had been given plenty of chances to destroy it.
He adopted the expression and tone of someone admitting defeat.
"It seems Fairy Tail truly is exceptional. We concede for today. We'll settle this another time."
He unleashed the Corpse Dragon's Ash again, sweeping up the unconscious Kiria and the injured Madmole before disappearing from the church.
Nebaru had been abandoned.
After all, he had activated the forbidden Dragon Force.
Death was already waiting for him.
Skullion also hoped the rampaging Sticky Dragon might drag a few Fairy Tail members down with him.
Ultear and the others did not try to stop them. There was no deep hatred between the two sides, and Fairy Tail had never been a guild that killed people without reason.
However, before Skullion left, he slipped a mass of Magic Power into the crystal.
It could barely be described as a dust bomb.
Everyone's attention was focused on Mira and Nebaru's battle, so no one noticed.
When Nebaru realized his companions had abandoned him, his expression twisted even further.
"I'LL EAT YOU!"
The moment he roared, the Magic Power around his body erupted once more. His frame stretched higher, and his body swelled another size.
Nebaru went from having the lean build of a wall-crawling spider to the heavily muscled body of a Super Saiyan with his hair standing on end.
He still wore the same skintight suit, but now every muscle stood out, including a clearly defined eight-pack.
'Such a thick and sticky Magic Power...'
Mira frowned as she sensed the change.
The viscous Magic surrounding Nebaru almost seemed capable of melting through even her Etherious form.
Nebaru charged and exchanged another punch with Mira.
This time, Mira was the one sent sliding backward. She barely managed to stop herself before hitting the wall.
Pain throbbed through her arm from the impact, and she shook it out.
"What a terrifying increase in strength..."
That punch was nothing like Nebaru's attacks from before.
"Then I suppose I'll have to get serious too!"
The two became blurs as they clashed repeatedly in midair.
After Mira drove him back with a swipe of her claws, Nebaru adjusted his body in midair and opened his mouth.
"Sticky Dragon's Sticky Roar!"
"Soul Extinction!"
An enormous mass of darkness gathered between Mira's hands before erupting into a devastating shockwave that collided head-on with Nebaru's roar.
The resulting explosion tore through the church.
Mira spread her wings and charged directly into the blast.
Before Nebaru could react, she burst through the flames.
She carved a cross-shaped slash across his chest.
Nebaru flew backward and smashed a massive crater into the wall.
Yet he slowly climbed back to his feet.
His already enlarged body swelled another two sizes.
Dragon scales began spreading across his face, while sharp spikes pushed out from his arms, shoulders, and back.
Claws formed on his hands and feet, and even his face gradually changed as his mouth stretched into a draconic snout.
At this point, it was difficult to call him human anymore.
"Even further dragonification?!" Natsu and Wendy cried out.
Ultear rubbed her chin in thought.
"Is this a second stage of Dragon Force, or one of its side effects?"
Raizel had already Taken Over Omnimon. Erza held Benizakura, while Kagura rested a hand on Archenemy.
All three were prepared to intervene at any moment.
Sensing Nebaru's power rise once more, Mira knew this was no time to be overconfident. As she evaded his attacks, she called out to Wendy,
"Wendy, enchant me again!"
"Yes!"
Wendy immediately cast her Magic.
"Enchant: Deus Corona! Deus Eques!"
Combined with Deus Eques and the Kyôka Curse Mira had been using to steadily enhance her offensive power, Mira's strength had now risen to a terrifying level.
"Sticky Dragon's Sticky Roar!"
"Absorb!"
Mira activated the Absorption Curse and swallowed Nebaru's entire roar.
"Whiteout Curse: White Serpents!"
More than a dozen streams of white light transformed into serpents and surrounded Nebaru from every direction.
He tried to evade, but four thorny vines burst from beneath his feet and wrapped around his arms and legs.
"Underworld Flower!"
A crimson rose appeared from nowhere upon Nebaru's chest.
Then—
Boom!
The flower exploded, and the white serpents crashed into him without restraint.
Mira had saved her true finishing blow for last.
Dragon Slayer Magic gathered around both claws before piercing straight through the abdomen of Nebaru's flying body.
After losing consciousness, Nebaru did not return to normal.
Worse, his life force was slowly fading.
Mira frowned in confusion.
"How? I deliberately avoided killing him."
Wraith's voice came from the magic crystal in Wendy's hand.
"That is the price paid by Fifth Generation Dragon Slayers. Once they activate Dragon Force, the change is irreversible. In less serious cases, they lose their minds. In the worst cases, they die."
"How could that be...?"
Nebaru was disgusting, but Mira had never intended to kill him.
Wendy hurried forward.
"I'll try something! Enchant: Separation might work if I strip away the Magic Power causing his transformation."
Wendy had not fully mastered Separation Enchantment yet, but she still had to try.
Erza stepped closer as well.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Erza had only recently begun learning High Enchantment and had yet to study Enchant: Separation.
For now, she could only apply simple magical attributes.
Wendy knew that, but she did not refuse her help.
"Let me try first!"
A pillar of blue light descended over Nebaru's partially dragonified body.
Cold sweat ran down Wendy's face as her breathing grew ragged, but she refused to stop.
She could not stand by and watch a living person die in front of her.
Erza transferred her own Magic Power into Wendy, helping her maintain the separation.
In the end, it worked.
Nebaru's body returned to human form, and the Magic Power extracted from him dispersed harmlessly into the air.
Happy suddenly raised a paw.
"After separating his Magic Power, can he still be a Mage?"
Wendy shook her head.
"Irene-sensei said Enchant: Separation may temporarily cause Magic Deficiency Syndrome, but that doesn't mean his Magic Power is permanently gone. The power inside him will eventually recover."
Raizel nodded.
"Then leave him there for now."
Nebaru's vital signs were stable.
Thanks to the powerful body of a Dragon Slayer, he would recover without immediate treatment.
Besides, healing him now would be a pain if he woke up and started another fight.
Lucy frowned, completely baffled.
"So what exactly did they come here for? Just to pick a fight?"