Hades glared, dabbing his bloodstained fingers, then clenched his fist, coldly eyeing Calvin before him.
"Very good... it's been decades since someone made me this miserable. You little brats did well!"
Hades spoke icily. As his words fell, his magical power surged once again, overwhelming and vast.
"He can still enhance his power? Is this guy's magic endless?" Calvin widened his eyes in disbelief. Not only him, but the other three also wore similar expressions, stunned by Hades' strength.
Before the four could react, Hades took the lead. His hands formed a mysterious seal, visible black streams of aura surged from him, covering the sky.
Soon, where the black aura passed, numerous black apparitions emerged, varied in forms but equally fierce and malevolent.
These specters had double horns, crimson eyes oozing with a strong scent of blood. Countless specters almost covered the entire sky, emitting horrifying howls.
In the next moment, these specters split into four groups, each hurtling towards the four members of Fairy Tail.
The speed of these black apparitions was incredible, arriving before the group in the blink of an eye. Brandishing weapons formed of illusions—swords, axes, hammers—they carried intense murderous intent towards the group.
"Inner Magic: Divine Punishment!"
Faced with such a massive quantity, Calvin's expression turned stern. His twin blades moved in indiscernible patterns, tearing through the specters like a meat grinder.
Each strike could send the specters back into the black aura, but soon, these black auras would reassemble into new specters, continuing their assault.
Brilliant lightning, swift and sharp blade edges, and surging torrents of darkness burst forth from Laxus, Elucia, and Mira's hands, yet, like Calvin, their attacks restored the specters immediately after dispersion.
Not only were they numerous, but they also regenerated rapidly. This situation made it seem like they were facing an infinite number of enemies.
Some specters wielded objects resembling Magic Cannons, attacking from afar, making it impossible for them to defend against.
Calvin gritted his teeth, persisting. He thought, "This can't go on, my magic and stamina are depleting too fast!"
His eyes flashed, and suddenly, the Crimson Eye Black Dragon Sword stood in front of his chest, emitting sudden waves.
Then, dark red flames overflowed from him, incinerating the specters wherever they went, emitting agonizing howls.
The wailing of the specters was piercing, akin to a demonic melody, but Calvin paid no mind, tirelessly fueling the dark red flames.
The flames grew, eventually igniting into a torrent around Calvin, obliterating all specters within a twenty-foot radius.
Strangely, instead of transforming into black auras after being destroyed, the specters were directly obliterated, leaving no trace behind.
This made Calvin's face brighten a bit, thinking inwardly, "It's indeed effective!"
Without hesitation, he gathered the flames around the Crimson Eye Black Dragon Sword, compressing them into a massive dark red flame blade.
Calvin swung it forward, a crescent-shaped dark red flame burst forth, gradually expanding from a few yards to over thirty, erupting upon reaching the densest concentration of specters.
Boom! The dark red flames turned into a meteor shower, dispersing in all directions. Any specter touched by the flames emitted cries and vanished without a trace.
A large number of specters were instantly wiped out, reducing the pressure on the other three. Calvin then rushed to Mira's side, the Black Dragon Sword slashing through the void, igniting faint dark red flames.
Soon, with Calvin's help, the specters surrounding Mira were finally annihilated. Then he hurried to assist Elucia and Laxus. In no time, all the specters were incinerated by the dark red flames.
For some reason, Hades simply watched Calvin in action without any intention of stopping him. Only after the specters were eliminated did he calmly say,
"Can you use 'darkness' as fuel for flames? A good move..."
Before he could finish, Laxus transformed into lightning, swiftly passing the space between them, striking Hades forcefully.
Hades stepped back, interrupted mid-sentence, seemingly infuriated. He shot out a dozen magical chains, tightly binding Laxus, then gestured a 'ten' with his hand, instantly enveloping Laxus with a magical formation emitting a dangerous light.
"This idiot! Could he be any more impulsive?" Calvin cursed inwardly but couldn't stand by. He hurled the Dragon Slayer Sword, lodging it beside Laxus.
Next, the two gems on the Dragon Slayer Sword emitted a dazzling light. Under this radiance, Laxus felt his body powerfully enhanced, strength surging within him.
With a roar, muscles exerted force, and the chains broke free from Laxus' struggle. Immediately, he transformed into lightning, speeding away to the side.
In the blink of an eye as Laxus dashed away, a deafening explosion echoed, and a magical formation erupted in a massive blast, illuminating the surroundings with a ball of magical light, sending shockwaves into the sky.
After the glow faded, the Dragon Slayer Sword embedded in the ground lay shattered, and with a crack, it turned into foam, vanishing without a trace.
"Laxus, remember you owe me a weapon!" Calvin gritted his teeth angrily, giving Laxus a cold glare and expressing his dissatisfaction.
Laxus ignored Calvin's words, keeping a vigilant eye on Hades, his expression grim.
Then, in a solemn tone, Laxus spoke, "I'll create an opening; you guys take the opportunity to attack."
After saying so, paying no heed to the trio's reactions, he charged straight at Hades.
In terms of speed, Laxus was undoubtedly the fastest among them. Everyone witnessed a flash of yellow light, and Laxus appeared behind Hades, mouth wide open, as thunderous roars emanated from his mouth.
"Roar of the Thunder Dragon!"
Hades remained composed, raising his palm to intercept the lightning. His palm gathered inexplicable magical power, forming an invisible barrier that completely separated Laxus's thunderous assault.
Laxus' eyes flashed with lightning as he swiftly moved to a distance of ten meters from Hades' side, conjuring a thunder spear in his hands using lightning.
"Thunder Dragon's Heaven Piercing Spear!"
The spear, accompanied by thunderous roars, shot towards Hades. Rather than confronting it directly, Hades swiftly retreated. The path of the spear resembled a horizontal bolt of lightning.
Capitalizing on Hades' retreat, Calvin, Elucia, and Mira swiftly joined him, each employing their techniques.
With supremely sharp blade edges, a black sword ablaze with dark red flames, and a destructive wave of dark energy, they all struck Hades simultaneously.
Hades sneered, both hands outstretched. Blood oozed from his arms, forming a blood-red shield that enveloped him securely.
The three attacks pounded the blood-red shield, causing ripples, but ultimately failed to break it. Amidst everyone's astonishment, magic formations appeared above their heads, unleashing massive dark beams at incredible speed.
"Inner Magic: Dark Judgment."
Hades' icy-cold voice emanated from the blood-red shield, accompanied by the agonizing cries of the four.