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"Diamond Barrier!"
Two enormous shields fused together, creating a green magical barrier that enveloped Erza entirely.
The storm drill, capable of piercing through a small mountain, was halted by the Diamond Barrier as if it had encountered an insurmountable fence, and its power diminished significantly.
"How could it be so strong?"
Seeing that his most powerful attack seemed ineffective, Aeligo couldn't help but grit his teeth. Then, his eyes shifted, and he came up with a new idea.
After this intense battle, he realized that he was no match for the Fairy Queen. Despite exhausting all his strength, she remained composed, and if this continued, he would undoubtedly be the one to lose.
However, that didn't matter; his goal was not to defeat Erza but to reclaim the Cursed Flute and then head to the meeting place in the north of the city to sound the death knell.
He just needed to keep Erza occupied for a moment so he could snatch the Cursed Flute from that insignificant little cat and escape to continue his plan.
"Magic Wind Barrier!"
Expending most of his remaining magic power, he launched a spell at Erza once more.
This was neither an offensive nor a defensive spell, but rather one designed to trap.
By utilizing rapidly spinning winds to create a barrier around his enemy, even mages stronger than him would find it challenging to break free once ensnared.
However, just as he completed the Magic Wind Barrier and relaxed his guard, a transparent blade shot toward him from his blind spot.
"God's Edge!"
It was George, the crafty one, who seized the opportunity to launch his spell from behind Aeligo.
Aeligo was skilled in the art of assassination, with a keen sense of awareness and intuition. Even at that moment, he sensed something was off.
He wanted to activate his Storm Cloak for defense, but his magic power had not yet recovered from the continuous use of powerful spells. As he turned to identify the source of the attack and evade it, he found there was no attack at all.
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, his head was severed from his body.
"I can't believe I died at your hands…"
"Serves you right for being arrogant!"
With Aeligo dead, George couldn't help but sneer in satisfaction.
A gentleman may wait ten years for revenge, but he was no gentleman, so he settled the score on the spot.
With Aeligo's death, the Magic Wind Barrier dissipated, and Erza emerged from her transformed state, donning her usual armor.
Looking down at Aeligo's decapitated corpse, she remarked, "You were a decent opponent; it's just a pity you chose the wrong path!"
She then turned to George, a look of appreciation crossing her face.
"You executed that spell very well!"
"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"
"Ice Style: Cavalry!"
Meanwhile, Natsu and Gray unleashed widespread attack spells, obliterating all the Ironwood Forest mages and bringing their battle to an end.
On the other side, a large military force, responding quickly to reports from the public, arrived, with the guild leaders who had been holding a meeting also rushing to the scene after hearing the news.
However, when they arrived, all they saw were the defeated Ironwood Forest mages and a vast area of streets reduced to ruins due to the magical battle.
Though the entire city wasn't destroyed, a quarter of the southern part was left with hardly any intact buildings.
"It's okay, it's okay; we have George. We can fix it!"
Makarov repeatedly assured himself, breathing heavily.
If he hadn't known that George could slowly repair the damage, he would have likely collapsed from shock upon seeing the devastation.
"What a fine staff! Just holding it, you can feel the immense magical power within. If it were made into a wand, it would undoubtedly be top-tier."
After dispatching Aeligo, George carefully examined the Cursed Flute in his hands and pulled a small knife from his backpack.
He planned to carve a piece of wood from the Cursed Flute to create a new wand before the royal army and the guild leaders arrived.
If anyone asked later, he would claim it was slightly damaged in the chaotic battle.
After all, he had retrieved the Cursed Flute from Aeligo, so it could be considered his trophy.
If the council insisted on reclaiming it, he could simply hand over the damaged flute, explaining that it had been marred during the fight, making it plausible.
However, just as he was about to act, the three-eyed skull carving at the head of the Cursed Flute suddenly emitted an eerie purple light, and an evil voice echoed from within the flute.
"It's so ridiculous! Just a bunch of useless mages. Fine, I'll take matters into my own hands.
I will claim the souls of every human in this city!"
Suddenly, a massive magical circle appeared above the Cursed Flute, large enough to cover half the city. George then felt the Cursed Flute vanish from his grasp.
Next, a hundred-meter-tall three-eyed demon slowly emerged from the magic circle, landing before the crowd.
"The true form of the Cursed Flute is a demon!"
At that moment, Erza, Natsu, and the others arrived in front of George.
George discreetly tucked away his knife; he hadn't anticipated the flute transforming into a demon, and this demon looked far too large to handle.
"Don't be afraid of this guy! For the glory of the kingdom, archers, shoot! Cavalry, charge!"
The royal army, just arriving on the scene, immediately sounded the charge as they saw the three-eyed demon materialize in the city.
A barrage of arrows rained down upon the demon, while heavily armored cavalry thundered down the streets with their lances raised.
"Merely ordinary humans dare to strike at me? Then I shall collect your souls first!"
The sharp arrows struck the massive three-eyed demon, seemingly just tickling him, failing to even breach his defenses.
The three-eyed demon turned to face the advancing army, its mouth opening wide as it unleashed a colossal magical energy cannon.
George estimated that the magical power radiating from this energy cannon was at least ten times stronger than Aeligo's previous ultimate attack.
If it struck the charging soldiers below, it could instantly vaporize thousands.
"Not good, Gray!"
Erza realized the danger as the royal army charged forward; this three-eyed demon was far too powerful for a typical army to handle.
She quickly grabbed Gray and, with all her strength, hurled him toward the demon.
With Erza's immense power, Gray soared like a rocket, landing squarely between the three-eyed demon and the royal army.
"Ice Style: Ice Shield!"
A massive ice shield instantly formed in Gray's hands, perfectly positioned to temporarily block the demon's magical energy cannon.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
At that moment, Natsu, his right hand engulfed in dragon fire, leaped up to a height of one hundred meters, delivering a powerful blow to the three-eyed demon's face.
The tremendous force caused the three-eyed demon to stagger, and the magical energy cannon immediately ceased its attack.
"Armor Change: Celestial Armor!"
Erza, the strongest among them, was not idle either. Her armor transformed again into a stunning new set adorned with four angelic steel wings.
(End of Chapter)