We're not here to mess around! Clean up at once!" Ichiya declared, striking a flamboyant pose as sparkles shimmered around him.
"Certainly, our dear master!" the Trimen replied in unison. As efficiently as they had set up their mini host club, they dismantled it, removing the couch and table with synchronized precision.
"Man~" Ichiya struck a more fancy pose.
Setting up a carpet with lighting surrounding it, Ichiya struck another pose, to gather everyone's attention. "As if appears everyone is here, allow me to explain the operation." he struck another pose.
"Are those poses really necessary." Lucy commented.
"First is the location where the Oracion Seis— the six demon generals have gathered…" Ichiya struck poses in between his pauses. "But first I require the use of toilet parfum" as if a crab, Ichiya walked comically sideways.
"Hey! Don't add "parfum" to the end of that!" Gray commented.
"Man~" Ichiya struck a more dramatic pose.
Producing a carpet with lights surrounding it, he struck another pose to gather everyone's attention. "As it appears everyone is here, allow me to explain the operation." He paused mid-sentence to strike yet another pose.
"Are those poses really necessary?" Lucy muttered, deadpan.
"First is the location where the Oración Seis—the six demon generals—have gathered…" Ichiya struck poses with every pause, his voice laced with exaggerated gravitas. "But first, I require the use of toilet parfum," he declared, walking comically sideways like a crab toward the exit.
"Hey! Don't add 'parfum' to the end of that!" Gray shouted, exasperated.
It was for a brief moment, only Naruto could sense it with his Sage Mode, which was constantly active. The foreign signature he felt earlier copied the flamboyant man, his gaze followed as the copied Ichiya walked out coming from the rest room with the same lively quirk as the original. This was a superior transformation technique—no, whoever it was, they were a pro, mimicking Ichiya's character with unsettling precision.
"To the north lies the enormous Worth Woodsea. The ancients sealed a powerful magic deep inside it. It was known as—Nirvana." The fake Ichiya struck a dramatic pose, emphasizing the word "Nirvana" with flair.
"Seriously, we can do without the poses…" Gray commented with a sweat drop.
"Nirvana," Natsu and Lucy repeated in unison.
"I've never heard of it," Lyon said bluntly. Sherry turned her attention to Jura.
"Have you, Master Jura?"
"No, I haven't," Jura responded, his expression as solid as the earth magic he wielded.
"All we know is that it was a destructive magic so powerful that the ancients had to seal it away," Ren answered, his tone more serious.
"But we don't know what kind of magic it actually is…" Eve added.
"Destructive magic?" Natsu echoed, a wary expression crossing his face.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Lucy tensed.
Wendy gulped, her fingers clutching the hem of her dress as the weight of their mission sank in.
"Oi!" Naruto broke the rising eerie feeling that began to surface at the mention of Nirvana. He stepped forward and planted himself directly in front of the fake Ichiya. Without hesitation, Naruto drove a solid fist into the imposter's solar plexus. The effects of the modified tetragram seal work as intended, the drain works far more effectively when a blow is given a stronger force.
Gasps filled the hall as the transformation dispelled. The Ichiya doppelgänger morphed into twin, blue, miniature creatures. A golden glow shimmered around them as they flickered and dissolved into nothing.
"A-a spirit?" Lucy gasped, her eyes wide with recognition. The distinct glow of celestial energy lingered momentarily in the air, sending a chill through the assembled mages.
"It got away…" Naruto frowned in annoyance.
Oración Seis gathered in the dimly lit cavern, torchlight flickering against jagged stone walls. The air was thick with damp earth and something heavier—anticipation laced with the sharp edge of unease.
Brain stood at the center, his arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping over his subordinates. Every plan he had formulated, every contingency he had considered, was now forced to shift.
"The orange leech..." he muttered, his voice low, calculated. "We've confirmed that his capabilities far exceed what we initially expected."
Hoteye opened one eye, his usual serene demeanor untouched. "Mmm... We have collected substantial data on him. The informants' reports were no exaggeration. Sensory awareness, stealth, raw power, speed, and his ability to drain magic—he is a menace."
Angel scoffed, arms folded as she leaned against the cavern wall. "And here I thought we had a solid strategy. The way he nullified Gemini's deception last time wasn't luck—it was a direct counter to our approach."
Brain nodded, his mind racing through the intelligence they had gathered. "Gemini's failed mimicry was a necessary setback. The mistake was expecting him to rely on visual cues. Instead, he reads magic itself, its fluctuations, its very essence. Deception is ineffective unless it is absolute."
Cobra let out a low chuckle, stretching lazily. "That's not the worst of it. He doesn't just see magic—he feels it. Every vibration, every shift in energy. Even the slightest ripple in the flow of his surroundings, he detects it. That makes him damn near impossible to ambush."
Racer tapped his foot impatiently. "So, what? We call it quits? You're making him sound untouchable."
Brain smirked, shaking his head. "No. We shift our strategy. Our advantage is information—deep, personal knowledge. And we already have the tool to extract exactly what we need."
His gaze flicked toward Angel specifically to one of her keys, Gemini of the 12 Zodiac Spirits. They had succeeded in making brief contact with the target—Naruto Uzumaki. Now, it was only a matter of time before they gained access to his memories, his past, his vulnerabilities.
"Not yet, it'll take a few hours for Gemini to regain their strength even if they're viable only for a few minutes..."
Brain's eyes gleamed darkly. "That's fine, we shall take this precious time to position, then we'll attack his heart."
Cobra's grin widened. "He's a protector. That much is obvious. But the question is, who matters most to him? Who is the one person he would sacrifice everything to save?"
"Gemini will decide that..." Angel replied holding the gemini's golden key firm.