Faced with a myriad of peculiar demons, Calvin forced himself to calm down.
Just a moment ago, after Hades removed his eye patch, he made a peculiar gesture, and accompanied by a terrifying and potent magic, demons were created from the ruins of stones.
According to Hades' explanation, as long as one possessed Abyssal magic, even clods of earth could generate demons.
This stemmed from the Jelph's Book, Chapter Four, Verse Twelve, named the "Heavenly Punishment" spell.
Though these earth-based demons couldn't match the demons from Jelph's Book in strength, the sheer number posed a difficult challenge for Calvin.
These demons were entirely black, adorned with peculiar purple patterns. Each one had a unique shape, resembling a mix of various beasts. However, they shared a common trait - an aura of brutality and cruelty.
Each one charged at Calvin relentlessly. He gritted his teeth, swinging his hands repeatedly, invoking the "Twenty-Eight Forms of Heavenly Illumination" to envelop himself.
Boom!
The magic formation exploded, destroying many demons. But with Hades around, demons kept being created endlessly, joining the assault against Calvin.
In a short time, these demons formed a small army. Although they lacked sentience, under Hades' simple command, they acted in an orderly manner.
Three summoned creatures held positions at three different angles, each resisting attacks. Among them, the most eye-catching was the Crimson-Eyed Black Dragon, whose immense size allowed it to easily crush demons with every move, and its terrifying breath was unstoppable, restraining the most summoned demons.
Meanwhile, the Dark Wizard and Dragon Slayer were also formidable. Their sharp sword techniques and dazzling magical attacks wove a sturdy web, keeping all demons at bay.
Simultaneously, Calvin conjured white magical wolves continuously, which dashed ghostly into the midst of the demon horde.
Boom! Boom!
The wolves deliberately ran into the densest area of demons, triggering self-destructs. Explosions soared, taking out many demons each time.
Calvin used every trick, barely resisting Hades' demonic army. However, his intense magical exertion rapidly depleted his powers.
If not for the doubled magical strength from the Seed of Magic, he might have perished at Hades' hands long ago.
At this moment, even Calvin questioned his confidence.
Seeing Calvin still holding out against him, Hades, with a frosty demeanor, showed a hint of surprise on his normally cold face.
He understood his magic well; technically, these demons were an amalgamation of magical forces, not just any magic but the Abyssal kind.
The Abyss of magic symbolized fear. These demons, created from Abyssal magic, weren't just powerful but inflicted an incredible mental toll.
Each demon instilled despair and fear into the mind. With this number and Calvin's sensitivity to magic, he should have crumbled long ago.
In reality, Calvin was completely enveloped by fear. Yet, having used the Summoning Card for more than a decade and practiced the Art of Soul Splitting, his mental strength was immense. The impact of fear was disrupting, but not as profound as Hades had imagined.
As the prolonged assault continued, Hades grew increasingly impatient. His tone turned unpleasant as he remarked, "Your strength is indeed admirable. Aside from me, there's probably no one else who can match you in possessing a demon's heart."
"But this is where it ends."
"As the Dancer of Demons, the Arbiter of Heaven's Judgement, dance, my demons!"
With Hades' words, the demons rolled themselves into cylindrical tentacles, all charging towards Calvin.
Calvin's eyes flashed with determination. Without hesitation, he threw a card. The next moment, the card transformed into a rounded cover-like screen, protecting Calvin and the summoned creatures.
It was a magical effect card named "Divine Protection - Mirror Force."
The transformed demons fiercely struck the protective screen. After ripples undulated across the screen, the demons were thrown back, returning to where they came from.
Hades' pupils contracted, and he snorted coldly, increasing the output of his magic. More demons emerged from the soil, turning into tentacle-like forms once again, continuing their assault.
The Divine Protection gave Calvin a momentary respite, yet his brows remained deeply furrowed, his face shrouded in gloom.
"Nothing much for now, but it seems I can't hold on for too long..."
This particular magic card was not an ordinary one; it could be considered one of Calvin's trump cards.
Not long after being promoted to an S-Class Mage, Calvin had once studied the three major super-magic of Fairy Tail. Though he hadn't learned any of them, through research, he created three cards. This Sacred Protection was derived from one of the three major super-magics, the 'Fairy Sphere.'
Of course, the defensive capability couldn't compare to the Fairy Sphere, but it was more than sufficient to withstand Hades.
It could be said that this was Calvin's strongest defense.
The demons continued to attack the Sacred Protection, causing it to gradually weaken. The number of demons increased, and the aura of fear and despair began to spread across the island.
The first to sense it were a group of highly skilled individuals: the three remaining members of the Seven Kin, Mira, Erza, the person attacking Cana and Lucy, and some decently powerful mages of Fairy Tail.
Upon feeling that aura, these people all paused in their tracks. Even those engaged in combat temporarily stopped.
"Can mere battle energy make me feel fear? But this sense of fear can turn into my imagination. Go, the Undead of Brûlithia!" Lasitoros waved his hand, and a large number of undead surged toward Mira.
Mira's expression became solemn, not because of Lasitoros's attack but due to the distant sense of fear.
"Calvin, be extremely careful!"
The next moment, her expression turned cold. Her hands formed a void at her waist, gathering magic as a dark vortex emerged.
"Ultra Rampage!"
The vortex shot out from her hands, instantly expanding and tearing apart the undead imagined by Lasitoros.
On the other side of the shore where Calvin was located, a boat lay stranded. Three figures descended from the vessel.
"Let's go, hurry to support everyone!" A middle-aged man with dark red hair lightly ordered and dashed out like lightning. The other two glanced at each other before following suit.
These three were none other than Kildas, Philed, and Biguslow who had left earlier.
Deep within the heart of Tenrou Island, Ultear retracted her gaze from the sky, her profound eyes flickering ceaselessly, lost in thought.
After a while, she muttered to herself.
"I've indeed underestimated you, Calvin... to think you could push Hades to such a degree."