The burly man gave Laxus some trouble.
With magical power close to Erza's level and even stronger physical strength, even Laxus couldn't take him down quickly.
Instead, he ended up looking a bit disheveled.
*Hum*
The magic circle grew brighter.
The middle-aged mage's face lit up with joy, believing success was near.
He and his younger brother had once depended on each other for survival. But ten years ago, his brother was killed by mages from a dark guild!
Though he later avenged him, the dead could not return.
For a long time, he fell into despair—until he encountered forbidden knowledge.
He became a dark mage himself.
Using his brother's blood, he researched life alchemy. Then, with black magic, he aimed to summon his brother's soul and complete the resurrection!
Now, just one final step remained.
And yet, a meddling mage appeared.
Such recklessness!
Though this mage seemed powerful, the body he prepared for his brother reached the pinnacle of demonic beast's strength!
Even relying solely on instinct, it could fight evenly against the master-level mages of major guilds!
Once his brother's soul was infused, this mage would no longer be a threat!
*Buzz buzz buzz*
Suddenly,
A cloud of black mist emerged from the darkness.
"Brother!" The middle-aged mage shouted in excitement.
The black mist rushed into the burly man's body as he fought Laxus.
"Jehfrit-nii, is he dancing over there?" Lisanna couldn't see the unique visual effects exclusive to the middle-aged mage and was confused about what he was doing.
"He's having a fit. Don't worry about it," Jehfrit replied.
"Brother, hurry! Kill that mage!" the middle-aged mage shouted eagerly.
"Roar—" The burly man's attack power suddenly surged.
Of course, no soul had truly entered to boost his strength.
Jehfrit had simply injected him with adrenaline.
This was a rare opportunity—opponents like Laxus didn't come around often.
Thus, he wanted to fully test the limits of this body.
Plus, he wanted to see if the body would collapse under immense pressure.
So far, the guy showed some skill.
The burly man's body hadn't broken down from being unable to handle the stress.
At that moment,
a *plop* sound echoed.
The skin on the burly man's back tore open, and the Exceed flight magic the middle-aged mage had transplanted finally activated!
A pair of massive wings unfurled, flapping as he soared into the sky.
Laxus frowned slightly and transformed into a bolt of lightning to chase after him.
Jehfrit's eyes gleamed.
"What incredible speed!" Lisanna exclaimed.
The opponent's flying speed was so fast that even Laxus couldn't catch up!
*BOOM BOOM BOOM*
Now, Laxus found himself at a disadvantage.
When two people of similar strength fought in the air, whoever was faster naturally held the upper hand.
*BOOM*
Laxus was getting pummeled in the sky.
"Laxus-sama!" Speed shouted anxiously.
Trapped in his cage, he paced back and forth, muttering words of encouragement to Laxus—or perhaps to himself.
"It's okay! Laxus-sama is the strongest mage besides Mr. Jehfrit!"
"He will surely defeat the evil enemy!"
"Is this cat a fan of Laxus-nii?" Lisanna observed.
"Laxus!" Jehfrit called out.
Amidst the chaos of taking a beating, Laxus turned to look at Jehfrit.
Jehfrit pointed at Speed.
Laxus hesitated, noticing Speed's worried expression. Then, he unleashed a bolt of lightning.
*BOOM*
The cage imprisoning Speed shattered.
*Whoosh*
A golden streak shot toward the sky.
"Laxus-sama, allow me to help you!" Speed wasn't afraid of Laxus' lightning; the closer he got to Laxus, the more radiant his golden fur became!
"Ahh!!!"
Suddenly, lightning began crackling around Speed's body.
A golden lightning bolt symbol appeared on his forehead.
*BOOM*
Speed accelerated abruptly, appearing behind Laxus. The instant his paw touched Laxus—
*BOOM!*
Laxus vanished!
Not disappeared—
His speed was so fast that it was nearly impossible for the naked eye to track!
*BOOM*
Laxus reappeared instantly, punching the burly man out of the sky.
"Brother!" the middle-aged mage cried in shock.
*Smack* Laxus appeared in front of him and slapped him away. The middle-aged mage couldn't withstand even a single slap from Laxus and collapsed, unconscious, his face swollen.
Laxus turned back, intending to finish off the burly man.
"Enough." Jehfrit waved his hand, and suddenly, a giant toad emerged from the ground, swallowing the burly man whole before retreating underground.
*BOOM*
The lightning bolt instantly returned. Laxus glared at Jehfrit from nearly nose-to-nose distance, his fists clenched, eyes screaming, "I want to punch you."
"Cough, Laxus, congratulations, your strength has increased," Jehfrit said awkwardly.
*Crackle crackle* Laxus' lightning-charged arm extended toward Jehfrit.
"Wait!" Jehfrit quickly stepped back, grabbing Lisanna by both arms and holding her in front of him. "No violence in front of children!"
"I'm not a child!" Lisanna exclaimed angrily, spinning around to kick Jehfrit.
"Ow!" Jehfrit dramatically clutched his leg, hopping away on one foot.
"Hmph." Laxus snorted, sparks of lightning shooting from his nostrils.
Gradually, the lightning around him dissipated.
"Phew—" Speed sighed in relief, collapsing onto the ground.
Laxus glanced back to see Speed giving him a thumbs-up. "Fighting alongside Laxus-sama once—I can die without regrets—Gah!"
With that, he slumped over, unconscious.
"Resonance magic," Jehfrit explained. "It's a low-tier version of shared magic. First, the caster must fully trust the other party, allowing their magic to merge to some extent."
Shared magic was like what Jehfrit and Miko shared.
However, most shared magics struggled to achieve perfect synergy, rarely reaching a 1+1=2 effect.
But Jehfrit and Miko trusted each other completely. Even fragile Jehfrit, in his Scale Angel form, dared to abandon all defense because, in that state, he gained Miko's defenses and health pool.
Resonance magic was weaker but still varied depending on the individuals.
Take Laxus and Speed, for example.
Speed gained only a tiny fraction of Laxus' magic, yet it allowed him to touch Laxus' body—a crucial factor.
Meanwhile, Laxus gained Speed's flight magic, which significantly boosted his capabilities.
His speed far exceeded before.
Though Laxus' raw stats hadn't increased, his actual combat performance skyrocketed.
Imagine a max-speed Laxus—ordinary mages fighting him might as well stand still and take the beating.
With the matter resolved, they handed over the dark mage to the town mayor for them to deal with.
The S-Class reward went mostly to Laxus since he did most of the work.
Jehfrit didn't take much, settling for a modest 100,000 Jewels.
Lisanna wanted 100,000 too, but Laxus shoved 2 million Jewels into her hands, ignoring her protests.
Seeing this, Lisanna silently vowed to give Laxus a special gift later.
Speed deeply admired Laxus, having idolized him since the Edolas days.
Laxus smirked—what a convenient cat delivered to him!
He accepted Speed's offer to join the Thunder Legion.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Speed decided to join Fairy Tail.
Upon returning to the guild,
Natsu charged out, looking ready to collide head-on with Laxus.
Laxus grabbed his head, frowning. "Natsu, what do you think you're doing?"
Natsu looked up, flames flickering in his eyes.
"Natsu! Wait for Jehfrit to return!" Lucy hurried after him.
"Jehfrit, you're back!" Seeing him, Lucy rushed over.
"What's wrong?" Jehfrit asked, puzzled.
"Mira... Miss Mira has been captured!" Lucy blurted out shocking news.
Jehfrit narrowed his eyes, raising his left hand to push up his glasses with his pinky. He paused, leaving his hand there for a while.
"What happened? How could Mira-nee..." Lisanna quickly asked.
"This afternoon, Mirajane went to a farm outside town, but a sudden battle erupted," Lucy explained. "By the time everyone arrived, the scene was a mess, and neither side of the fight was found!"
"We searched the area but couldn't find Mirajane."
"How could this happen..." Lisanna covered her mouth.
"Calm down." Laxus immediately turned to Jehfrit. "You need to stay calm, Jehfrit. This isn't simple. Whoever dared to target our guild managed to capture Mirajane alive in a short time—they came prepared. You can't lose your composure!"
"That's right, Jehfrit," Lucy added quickly. "Everyone's waiting for you to decide what to do!"
The first master was known as the Fairy Tactician.
Though Jehfrit didn't hold that title, the guild trusted him immensely, including Master Makarov, who relied heavily on his abilities.
Jehfrit was different from Laxus and Gildarts.
He wasn't just strong—he had restraint, unwavering resolve, and was an excellent strategist.
Jehfrit lowered his hand. "No trace was found?"
"No," Lucy shook her head.
"Impossible. There must be clues." Jehfrit stated. "Laxus is right—the enemy came prepared. They likely targeted Mirajane for a reason."
Jehfrit walked into the guild.
"Natsu... listen to Jehfrit," Lucy pleaded, clinging to Natsu's arm.
Natsu gritted his teeth audibly, but as Lucy pulled harder, he exhaled sharply and allowed himself to be dragged back inside.
The guild fell silent as Jehfrit entered.
"Jehfrit," Makarov looked at him gravely. "This is a line Fairy Tail won't tolerate. No matter Mirajane's current condition, those who kidnapped her will pay the ultimate price!"
Makarov's words set the tone—this was a fight to the death!
It had to be. If it was Mirajane today, who would it be tomorrow?
This wasn't like Phantom Lord. They were a legitimate guild with principles.
But the enemies now—they had no bottom line. A full retaliation was necessary!
Demonstrating Fairy Tail's strength wasn't about showing off—it was about ensuring no one dared harm guild members again!
"But," Makarov shifted tone. "The situation is unclear. We don't even know who the enemy is."
"Prepare for battle. I'll be back shortly," Jehfrit said. "Where did it happen?"
"East."
"Got it."
Jehfrit's figure vanished.
Soon,
he arrived at the battlefield, expressionless.
The area was a mess. He carefully inspected it.
"Jehfrit, there's no smell of blood here. Neither side suffered casualties. The enemy clearly knew Mirajane's situation and acted accordingly," Miko said.
"They must have left clues. Why else would they suddenly kidnap Mirajane?" Jehfrit replied.
"Was it targeting the guild?" Miko asked.
"I lean toward that answer," Jehfrit nodded.
"Fairy Tail has many enemies, but few possess the strength to capture Mirajane so swiftly."
"The two dark alliances?" Jehfrit questioned, then shook his head. "They wouldn't act this early."
"I need to reconstruct the battle." Jehfrit pulled out a card, transforming it into a mirror.
"Aza, help me recreate the scene in the mirror world," he instructed.
"Yes, Master." The mirror demon Azazel, having grown stronger through evolution, could now assist Jehfrit with tasks.
"Pre-battle scene created."
"Post-battle scene created."
"Begin comparison and deduction."
"Deduction complete."
"Battle duration: 53 seconds. Battle process as follows—"
Jehfrit gazed into the mirror world.
Mirajane's figure stood frozen, walking toward the outskirts of town. Since this was a simulation based on probabilities, it couldn't replicate her exact state at the time. The focus was on the process, not her mental state.
Suddenly, shadowy figures emerged—representing the unidentified enemies.
The battle began. Mirajane immediately transformed into Satan Soul and engaged in a brief but intense fight.
Based on the pre- and post-scene comparisons, residual magic fluctuations, and other data, the battle reconstruction was nearly accurate.
Soon,
the enemy produced an unrecognizable weapon—a black mass.
But the magnetic field changed.
Mirajane was instantly defeated and overwhelmed, then taken away.
"Magnetic field..." Jehfrit muttered.
"Master, among your enemies, there's a faction that excels in using magnetic fields," Aza said.
"It's them," Jehfrit half-closed his eyes.
At that moment, a red thread appeared, dragging a note behind it.
It was a message from Tiffany.
[Jehfrit, Mirajane is safe. I'm protecting her in secret. The enemy is the "Roya" organization, located in the northern kingdom of "Reiken Cafelia." This group has been researching demons. Both Mirajane, who houses a demon, and you, who contracted Miko, are their targets. Capturing Mirajane is likely a ploy to lure you into a trap. You might be their ultimate goal. Do not act alone. They specialize in countering your Deception Magic with magnetic field magic.]
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Translator's note:
I published a new chapter for my frieren fanfic.