Gazing up at the massive Steelix, nearly thirty meters tall and exuding a metallic glint, Barzack, who had transformed into a crimson werewolf, subtly hid his trembling right claw behind him.
If looked at closely, one could see the sharp wolf claws were already shattered at their tips.
The excruciating pain made it challenging for Barzack to maintain his composure, his lips twitching slightly as he glanced at Gaal, who had taken on the form of the enormous Steelix.
"Take Over Magic? What kind of creature is this...?"
He was a mage who specialized in commanding magical beasts. On the Ishgar Continent, and across the world, not all but most magical beasts were known to him.
Yet, a creature entirely made of steel didn't exist in any record. A body so steel-hard, even surpassing diamonds—how could such a being exist? What was its internal structure?
Briefly pondering these questions, Barzack tossed them aside, focusing entirely on the massive Steelix Gaal had become, contemplating his strategy.
His Red Blood Wolf had been nurtured to become an A-Class magical beast, exceeding its racial limits, capable of breaking stone and mountain with its sharp claws.
Even an iron-forged shield could be easily torn apart by it.
And yet, striking the Steelix's enormous body had shattered the tips of his claws upon impact.
Such physical strength was beyond comprehension, and not even entering a frenzy could help, though frenzy was the Red Blood Wolf's claim to fame.
A pack of frenzied Red Blood Wolves could scare off many A-Class magical beasts.
But now...
As Barzack, in his massive werewolf form, looked at the thirty-meter-tall steel figure, he found himself at a loss.
And it wasn't just that.
The size difference made it impossible to defeat Gaal head-on, causing Barzack to curse under his breath, "Whose intel was this? Nobody mentioned they'd use Take Over Magic!"
Even as a gigantic werewolf, Barzack had no other choice. A blood-red magic orb formed in his hand, which he tossed into the air, crying out: "Everyone! Prepare to frenzy! Run!"
Yes, the plan was to run.
Barzack held no illusions about defeating Gaal. However, if even one of them could escape and deliver the message, the more Grimoire Heart knew, the more likely they were to avenge him later.
As the blood-red orb ascended, a bloody mist pervaded the sky, blocking out the sunlight.
The mages of Crimson Fang and their giant wolves all fixated on the crimson orb-like a blood moon.
As howls penetrated the valley, the already aggressive Red Blood Wolves began to frenzy, their bodies enlarging, muscles bulging, claws and fangs growing thicker and tougher.
At the brink of losing control, each mage of Crimson Fang activated Fusion Magic, merging with their frenzied Red Blood Wolves.
Each transformed into three-to-four-meter-tall upright werewolves, their eyes burning with crimson madness.
Gaal, looking at Barzack's stern face, remarked, "A dying struggle."
In his Steelix form, Gaal had surpassed his original size by nearly threefold, with an increase in both weight and mass.
Though the towering werewolves might appear terrifying, their significant size difference proved no match against Steelix's charge, likely resulting in crushing defeat.
And indeed, Gaal decided to act upon this strategy. Watching as Barzack himself began to enter frenzy, Gaal's transformed Steelix coiled and writhing.
BOOM!!!
A deafening crash echoed as the ground quaked. Barzack's wolf eyes contracted as the immense Steelix magnified in his view...
The oncoming gusts and icy killing intent nearly petrified him.
As Steelix charged, the ground behind it tore open with a massive gash, shattering everything in its path, the hard boulders crumbling away like paper.
Accompanied by the hiss unique to snakes, Steelix charged head-on with an unstoppable aura. Barzack's fur bristled with fear, crouching before leaping skyward.
Swish!
His entire form vaulted high into the sky. Beneath, the ground rumbled as the near thirty-meter Steelix trampled everything ahead mercilessly. With no need to brake, nothing could halt its advance.
Minus Barzack as a target, Gaal in Steelix form continued to charge forward by sheer inertia.
The four-to-five-meter frenzy wolves lacked any resistance as Steelix's immense body crushed them easily into pulp, unable even to lift their legs in escape.
Splat! Splat!
The sounds of bodies bursting under the weight of steel filled the air, as not the slightest pause occurred—complete extermination.
Barzack, high in the air, grit his teeth, his magic power surging: "Damn it!"
"Stop him!!!"
Barzack's massive werewolf form dove down, his claws aimed at Steelix-Gaal's head below.
As Gaal bound forward, he sensed the disturbance above, manipulating Steelix's body to suddenly halt. The snake's massive head twisted unnaturally, looking up at the plummeting Barzack.
"Iron Tail."
From above, Steelix's body, near-vertical on the ground, suddenly twisted and lifted from the tail, soft as if not made of steel, flung forcefully at the frenzied werewolf charging downward.
SMACK!
A thunderous crack, like a whip's tail, resounded. Barzack's giant werewolf form lacked any pause, struck directly by Steelix's immensely heavy tail.
A sickening crack echoed through Barzack's being.
In an instant, Barzack's mind went blank, blood spewing from his mouth, forcibly knocked out of his frenzy state.
The towering ten-meter werewolf slammed into the valley's rocky wall, embedding deeply, the previous wildness vanishing—eyes now vacant and glassy, its state unknown.
Above, Gengar waved a trident-like weapon, releasing terrifying psychic energy that obliterated numerous small skeletal dragons, reforming a dozen four-meter-tall skeleton dragons.
These were controlled by Gengar's underlings, diving down to capture frenzied werewolves on the run.
Grasping them skyward or widening their jaws to tear these werewolves apart with unforgettable efficiency, Gengar floated above, observing his minions' efforts while shooting Shadow Balls downward—exploding approaching werewolves on the spot.
Haunter and Gastly continued their transport duty.
As the guild relocated, all treasures of Crimson Fang were loaded onto these magical transport carts, removing the need for pillaging.
Each Gastly and Haunter ferried piles of goods to the Black Hole opened by Gengar.
The slaughter persisted.
Then, eventually, amidst the quiet devastation...
Clatter, clatter!
A bloodstained wolf's paw reached out from the rocky wall, struggling to pull itself free.
Yet strength evaded him, and the paw fell alongside the many scattered stones, crashing to the ground.
With a thump, the ten-meter crimson werewolf hit the ground.
Barzack's body convulsed, managing to prop himself up with great struggle, raising his sight to the distance where an overwhelming suffocation overwhelmed him—a grim scene of severed limbs, emptied wagons, werewolves dwindling under dragons' playful malice.
All of this evidenced their absolute defeat.
Barzack's eyes brimmed with limitless hatred: hatred towards Gaal, the Magic Council, and Grimoire Heart...
His gaze turned towards Gaal's form in Steelix, devoid of fear, only harboring unending spite, roaring hoarsely:"Damn it all!!! Whose idiot classified you as an A-Class Mage?! Fools! All fools! The idiots in the Magic Council! Those in Grimoire Heart! Are you all blind?!!!"
Barzack roared and growled, venting out his fury. If he'd known Gaal was so formidable, he would've fled upon transforming, not confronting him.
Roaring and clutching his chest, Barzack glanced at Gaal, inhaling deeply.
"If I undo the fusion and frenzy, let you take my head —would you let it go?"
Barzack's words were interrupted by the howl of his longtime companion, seemingly saying it didn't fear death. Shaking his head, Barzack peered at Gaal.
However.
In his Steelix form, Gaal replied coldly, "No."
Barzack cursed inwardly, "Damn Light Wizard. Truly heartless."
Muttering softly, Barzack came to a grim acceptance, "Looks like we'll die together."
His face displayed a determination to perish alongside his Red Blood Giant Wolf.
Gaal's demeanor remained indifferent, voice unyielding: "When you slaughtered villages, you left no survivors, right?"
Barzack chuckled, retorting, "I've razed so many villages, and the Council's spies just watched. Did they really believe I wouldn't notice the surveillance? From miles away, I could smell the stench of corruption on you Light Wizards.
Heh heh heh, it's all thanks to the Council's indulgence, fatten us up to slaughter later? Playing that game with me? I made my fortune through robbery, comparing your hypocrisy and cruelty, Light Wizards aren't better. Had the intel been correct..."
Hatred dripped from his tone, cursing the fools, "This is an A-Class Mage???"