Jehfrit glanced at her. Mirajane's emotions were clearly unsettled; it was obvious she wanted nothing more than to punch someone.
But that wasn't why he was here.
If they let anger cloud their judgment, escaping would be nearly impossible for both of them.
Jehfrit quickly grabbed Mirajane's wrist but was met with a sharp, aggressive glare.
It seemed the Roya organization had truly enraged Mirajane this time.
Still, there were things that needed to be said.
Jehfrit reached out and flicked Mirajane's forehead.
"Don't act impulsively. Follow my lead."
"…," Mirajane pursed her lips slightly.
"Listen to me," Jehfrit said gently.
"What's your plan?" Mirajane asked.
"The situation here is complicated. If we try to fight our way out directly, it'll be very difficult. The guild is preparing a rescue, but it'll take some time before they can assist us."
Jehfrit hadn't instructed the guild to wait outside for his extraction.
Instead, he tasked them with constructing a magical array based on the Anima system—his own version infused with Tiffany's magic style.
He could already draw upon Edolas' magic, but the efficiency was low compared to directly summoning Ansa.
However, by constructing an Anima array, he could synthesize and summon Ansa—a powerful ally completely under his control.
Ansa had once caused Fairy Tail immense trouble, but now, he could serve as their ultimate trump card. If things got dire, they could deploy the Anima array to summon a new demon version of Ansa.
But setting up the array required time.
Thus, the guild couldn't come to his aid immediately.
As for Jehfrit charging in alone—it was a desperate move.
Tiffany couldn't infiltrate, and leaving Mirajane here alone was unthinkable.
So, despite the danger, he came.
"I'll do as you say," Mirajane responded, her voice softening slightly—an impressive feat given her Demon Queen state amplified her S-Class traits. Her ability to suppress her rage spoke volumes about her trust in him.
She moved closer to Jehfrit. "What's your plan?"
"Show them my worth. I want to meet Roya and learn more about him and his project," Jehfrit replied.
"Mm." Without questioning further, Mirajane nodded.
"Let's go." As Jehfrit led Mirajane out the door, they were greeted by a sea of enemies outside.
Without hesitation, Jehfrit raised Teal and fired.
"Roar—"
Mirajane unleashed her power, charging forward.
These mages stood no chance against their combined assault.
Jehfrit carved a path through the enemy ranks, blasting his way outside.
Even as the opposition grew stronger and more numerous, the confined spaces limited their effectiveness.
BOOM
Jehfrit shattered the outer shell of the structure and stepped out with Mirajane.
"You won't escape," a voice declared. Outside, over a thousand enemies surrounded them.
The frontline mages were all elite A-class fighters at minimum.
"No wonder the Holy Father singled you out. Your strength is extraordinary," one of the three-eyed monsters remarked as it descended from the sky.
S-Class level!
Another S-Class mage landed moments later.
Then, like rain, nineteen more S-Class mages descended onto the battlefield.
A total of twenty-one S-Class mages. Was this the full extent of the Roya organization's power? Clearly not.
No wonder they felt so confident.
"Perfectly synchronized magic—it's incredible," one figure commented, studying Jehfrit with awe.
"Mirajane the Demon Queen, wielding the power of formidable demons—what overwhelming pressure."
"The Holy Father wishes for you not to leave."
"Mr. Jehfrit, though you are strong, please surrender. Someone like you, a perfect specimen, is akin to divine artistry. We'd hate to damage even a fragment of it."
"Powerful Deception Magic and near-invincible demons."
"We're eager to see what kind of existence you truly are."
"On the operating table, we'll uncover everything about you."
One after another, the three-eyed monsters spat out disturbing remarks.
"Jehfrit, what should we do?" Mirajane turned to him.
Even now, she remained calm.
Her complete trust in Jehfrit's decisions reassured her of their safety.
Jehfrit twirled Teal. "Can your Holy Father hear me?"
"The Holy Father possesses the power to know all," one of the three-eyed monsters confidently stated.
"But he didn't sense my infiltration," Jehfrit sneered.
"Yes, we must admit—" another burly three-eyed monster humbly interjected, "you are incredibly powerful. After reviewing extensive data, Deception Magic isn't inherently strong, yet you've developed it to such an extent."
Another added, "The magic isn't powerful—the one wielding it is."
"However," yet another sighed regretfully, "you are someone the Holy Father specifically requested. Therefore, you cannot leave."
"I wish to speak with your Holy Father," Jehfrit demanded.
"That requires permission," one of the three-eyed monsters responded.
"Why bother asking? Let's swarm him and capture him!" another arrogantly suggested.
"Jehfrit," Mirajane, hearing this, instinctively stepped forward, partially shielding him with her body.
"You—" Jehfrit glanced at the arrogant three-eyed monster, tilting his head slightly. "Have a death wish."
Whoosh
In an instant, his figure vanished!
"Not good!" the three-eyed monster panicked, attempting to release his magic.
Slash
His perspective spun, and he saw his own back—and Jehfrit standing behind him, holding a blade.
BOOM
The three-eyed monsters scattered instantly.
"What happened?"
"How did he teleport?"
"Our intel never mentioned such a spell!"
Everyone was shocked. A captain-level fighter had been killed in an instant!
Whoosh In the blink of an eye, Jehfrit reappeared next to Mirajane.
Teleportation? Of course, it was thanks to Mirror Demon Aza's assistance.
Many mages on the battlefield wore helmets with visors—mirrors. By having Miko hold a mirror, he could use the mirror world to teleport directly to any helmet-wearing mage, kill them, and return instantly.
He had appeared behind his target, slain him, and returned—all within a heartbeat.
"Anyone else want to speak rudely to me?" Jehfrit swung Hani casually. "Or do you want to test how many lives it'll take to subdue me?"
"I'm here to speak with your leader—not beg."
"I'm doing him a favor!"
"Don't be ungrateful!"
At these words, the three-eyed monsters wanted to angrily retort but hesitated. Who knew if they'd be the next victim?
"Heh." At that moment, a hunched old man walked out.
Jehfrit glanced back—it was an old acquaintance.
The same person he'd failed to kill twice before.
"Mr. Jehfrit, we meet again. This is our third bout. Here, we'll settle our final score," the old man chuckled.
"Tsk—" Jehfrit frowned. "Send someone else."
With that, his magic surged.
Plop
The old man collapsed, utterly bewildered.
Simultaneously, in a cloning chamber deep within the base,
another hunched old man suddenly coughed blood as his vital signs plummeted to zero!
The first two times, Jehfrit hadn't realized the implications of killing him.
By now, he'd almost forgotten about the man entirely.
Yet, here he was again for the third time.
Seeking death!
Flap flap
A black swan flew down, landing gracefully before Jehfrit. It extended its wing like a human hand, bowing respectfully. Then, it spoke. "Mr. Jehfrit, greetings. I am Roya."
"Mr. Roya, I hear you've been researching demons?" Jehfrit returned the gesture.
"Yes."
"I'm interested in discussing this with you," Jehfrit said.
"I'd be delighted," Roya replied.
"However, you must release my companion first," Jehfrit continued. "I'll stay voluntarily as a hostage until my guild arrives."
"Jehfrit!" Mirajane immediately protested, grabbing his hand. "We leave together."
Jehfrit gave her a small smile.
"I'm sorry," Roya shook his head. "You and your demon are too powerful. I can't risk letting you roam freely without restraint."
"…," Jehfrit took a deep breath. "Using the people important to me as leverage—a reckless me might terrify you, but what about an enraged, irrational me? Are you not afraid of that?"
"…," Roya fell silent for several seconds. "The demon behind you…"
"Does it represent the ultimate form of demons?"
Jehfrit understood the implication: a gamble. If the demon behind him represented the pinnacle of demonic power, then Mirajane's absorbed demons would hold no research value.
But he wouldn't betray Mirajane or Miko.
"Roya, you have only one choice," Jehfrit declared.
"Mr. Jehfrit, you may be misunderstanding something," Roya's tone soured. "I'm well aware of your threats, but you're the one in danger here. I am humanity's pioneer, a master of alchemy—you should show me respect."
"You?" Jehfrit smirked. "Who's to say whose research capabilities are superior?"
"You're testing my patience," Roya's tone turned hostile.
Slash
Jehfrit swiftly decapitated the black swan.
"Die!" The three-eyed monsters roared in anger.
"Do you really think magnetic fields can fully suppress my Deception Magic?" Jehfrit raised Hani.
BOOM
A terrifying surge of magic erupted.
This was the same technique Jehfrit had used against Ansa—releasing magic in a detectable state to achieve the first layer of concealment.
True, the three-eyed monsters could still "see" his presence through their magnetic fields.
But he had upgraded.
Aza could construct anything within the mirror world—including a simulated magnetic field source projected through mirrors.
Instantly,
Buzz buzz buzz— Magnetic detection devices went haywire, spinning wildly.
The three-eyed monsters were stunned. Too many targets!
Over a hundred "enemies"!
This was the second layer of concealment!
Whoosh
Jehfrit appeared behind one of them, slashing with his blade. Before the target could react, he collapsed.
"Damn!" Panic spread as everyone scrambled to defend themselves.
"Roar—" Mirajane unleashed a roar, knocking three foes off their feet.
"Capture that woman!"
"He must have weaknesses!"
The three-eyed monsters unanimously decided to focus on Mirajane first.
Their strength rivaled Natsu and Gray in their normal states.
Even Mirajane would struggle to hold out against so many attackers.
Jehfrit used Mirajane as bait.
Attacking Mirajane to exploit his supposed weakness?
Fine.
Then he'd play a lottery—whomever he drew would die!
Slash slash
Heads flew into the air.
Captain-level fighters dropped rapidly.
"This isn't working! He'll slaughter us all!" one of the three-eyed monsters cried, terrified.
The next second, he too was cut down.
Swish swish swish
Ultimately, Jehfrit emerged victorious.
All captain-level three-eyed monsters were slain!
Mirajane, though injured, looked at Jehfrit with shock—and perhaps a hint of admiration.
"You can't kill them all."
At that moment, more three-eyed monsters emerged from the base—familiar faces.
Clones!
"So? Can you clone endlessly? Let's see whether I collapse first or you run out of clones. I doubt you can replicate hundreds," Jehfrit shrugged indifferently.
He noted there were eighteen present. That meant three lacked clones.
How many lives did they have left?
"…," the three-eyed monsters hesitated.
Cloning bodies granted extra lives—a reward earned only through significant contributions.
In reality,
most only had two or three clones.
Two more deaths, and they'd truly perish!
While they hesitated, Jehfrit disappeared again, claiming three more heads.
"Hmph—"
Suddenly, a furious snort echoed.
A silver figure moved with such speed that even Jehfrit struggled to react, appearing at his position and kicking him away.
BOOM
Jehfrit flew dozens of meters, smashing through countless buildings before coming to rest under the rubble.
"Jehfrit!" Mirajane rushed over, digging through the debris. Seeing he was unharmed, she sighed in relief.
"Jehfrit, that hurt!" Miko exclaimed. "That person is incredibly strong!"
Miko could now gauge an opponent's strength based on the pain Jehfrit felt during attacks.
"Of course he's strong…" Jehfrit rose with Mirajane's help. "That speed—I've only seen something like it recently with Laxus."
Thud
The figure stepped forward, instantly appearing before Jehfrit and throwing a punch!
"A fake body? Chasing just one person doesn't require much thought," the attacker said arrogantly, his intelligence matching his strength.
He seized the moment Jehfrit attacked, exposing himself, and struck decisively.
This was indeed a weakness of Jehfrit's magic—while inactive, he could remain hidden, but attacking revealed him to enemy senses.
To counteract this, one would need to reach at least Wizard Saint-level strength.
And this person's oppressive aura rivaled Laxus's!