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"Erza's looking impressive—she's at least a D!"
Watching Erza in her new armor, George couldn't help but mutter in admiration.
The materials for her Heavenly Armor were mostly concentrated on the wings and lower body, with only minimal coverage in the front. This design gave her an appearance that was both divine and alluring.
Although he was surprised by the cursed flute's transformation into a three-eyed demon, George remained calm.
He noticed that Master Makarov, along with several other guild leaders, had already arrived on the scene.
They stood there without any trace of anxiety, even casually discussing the battle between the three-eyed demon, Erza, and her companions.
This could only mean one thing: while the three-eyed demon was formidable, it was no serious threat to these guild masters.
Besides, most of them were S-Class mages, not to mention that Makarov himself was one of the Ten Saints.
It wasn't as if they couldn't recognize the cursed flute; one of the guild masters had just been explaining to Lucy the history of its creator, Zeref.
Knowing the flute's properties and still remaining this composed, George guessed that even if the flute unleashed its curse magic, it wouldn't harm these guild leaders.
Or perhaps they knew how to counter the curse magic of the flute.
"Dance, my swords!"
Erza, clad in her Heavenly Armor, soared through the sky, with dozens of magical swords swirling around her like a merciless reaping machine, lunging toward the three-eyed demon.
"So, this is the true power of an S-Class mage?"
George felt a twinge of awe as he watched Erza, Natsu, and Gray relentlessly press the attack on the three-eyed demon, leaving gaping holes all over its massive body.
So it turns out, when they fought the Iron Forest Guild, the three of them weren't even going all out.
"Uh, George… we're really counting on you afterward."
While George was still caught up in the display of Erza's strength, Makarov approached him, rubbing his hands with a playful grin.
George snapped back to reality and surveyed the area. Nearly the entire city was now in ruins from the battle, causing him to twitch his cat whiskers in exasperation.
Repairing such widespread destruction would take considerable time, even with his current supreme magic staff.
"Master, are you trying to work me to death?"
"Hahaha, nonsense! Take your time; we can pace ourselves. Work one day, rest the next—it's fine, as long as the city gets repaired in the end."
Makarov gently patted George's shoulders with two fingers, his attitude extremely amiable.
With a sly glint in his eye, George immediately replied with a smile:
"Well, since the master put it that way, as a mage of the guild, of course I'll do my duty. I won't take breaks; I'll strive to restore this city as quickly as possible."
Clover City wasn't exactly large, and it didn't have towering buildings—five floors was the highest structure. If he worked diligently, three to five days should be enough.
And if his magic staff's amplification effect improved even slightly, he might finish in just a day or two.
"However, I'd like to ask the master for a little assistance…"
"Of course, if it'll speed up the repairs, it's a small matter. I'll take care of it later."
Makarov thumped his chest, promising without hesitation.
Compared to repairing the entire city, George's small request was easy.
"You wretched pests—die!"
Though the three-eyed demon was large and powerful, its body was made of wood, making its defenses fairly weak. Under the synchronized attacks of Erza's trio, it was quickly overwhelmed.
Enraged, it finally unleashed its true cursed flute magic.
"Death Curse!"
A purple magic circle appeared above its head. As it took a deep breath, the surrounding grass wilted, and an immense surge of magical energy erupted.
"Phhfftt~~~~"
A sound, reminiscent of flatulence, escaped from the three-eyed demon's body.
For a moment, everyone was plunged into silence.
"Is it… not doing anything?" Lucy blinked in disbelief, murmuring. She had expected the three-eyed demon's curse magic to be far more threatening, only to see this underwhelming outcome.
"This cursed flute, created by the dark mage Zeref, can indeed release a deadly curse when caught off guard. Within range of its melody, ordinary people and lower-tier mages would have their souls instantly drained, dying on the spot.
"Stronger mages could resist for a while. And if that mage is skilled in soundproofing and barrier magic, then the curse magic essentially becomes useless. That's why it was sealed away back then," explained the guild master of Four Hounds.
"So it has this weakness after all," George realized, understanding why the guild leaders weren't concerned. Soundproofing magic wasn't particularly difficult, and quite a few of the guild masters here were likely proficient in it.
Of course, even without its curse magic, the three-eyed demon's massive size and its powerful energy cannon weren't something just anyone could handle.
Certainly not with his current strength.
"So, it can't cast the curse because its body's full of holes, making it impossible to play the flute?" With the Four Hounds master's explanation, Lucy quickly grasped why the demon's curse magic failed to work.
"My voice… my beautiful voice… this has to be a joke!"
Snapping out of its embarrassment, the three-eyed demon flew into a rage.
Its three eyes gleamed simultaneously, releasing a surge of flames that flooded toward everyone in a massive wave.
At that moment, Natsu dashed forward, inhaling deeply and consuming all of the flames, swallowing them whole.
"Not bad at all. That magic power's fully replenished!" he declared.
"It's time to end this—Ice Make: Whirlwind Disk!"
Gray poured all his magic into a large, high-speed spinning ice blade that shot toward the demon, slicing halfway through its torso.
"Requip—Black Wing Armor!"
Hovering in the air, Erza swapped her Heavenly Armor for the Black Wing Armor, designed to channel a single, devastating strike. She swooped in like lightning, cleaving through the three-eyed demon's head with a single blow.
"Right hand of fire, left hand of fire… combining the power of both flames.
"Take this—Dragon King's Fiery Blaze!"
With Erza and Gray's attack severely weakening the demon, Natsu leapt high into the air, unleashing his strongest strike with the demonic flames he had just absorbed.
A colossal flame engulfed the demon, and the deafening explosion echoed across the sky.
When the dust settled, the three-eyed demon was gone, reverting to the cursed flute with a skull emblem as it fell to the ground.
(End of Chapter)