Once Calvin decided, he wasted no time and walked directly toward one of the hidden individuals.
His steps were slow, almost like a casual stroll, but as he approached, the person hiding could feel an increasing pressure coming from him.
Their confidence was utterly crushed.
"I can't let him get any closer. I have to strike first!" The man steeled himself, seeing Calvin draw nearer. With a determined heart, he charged at Calvin, throwing a punch while casting magic simultaneously.
A large wave of brown liquid surged from his body, shooting toward Calvin like a deadly tide. The man was muscular, even more so than Elfman, and he bit down on a bottle of liquor, exuding arrogance. A smug grin spread across his face as he watched his corrosive acid magic engulf Calvin.
But in the next instant, pain shot through his cheek, cutting deep into his core. His vision blurred as he was sent flying, crashing into a rock wall.
The one who struck him was Marco, the Phoenix. Calvin summoned him without anyone realizing it, hiding it from everyone watching him. With one swift hit, Marco neutralized the threat.
As for the mass of acid, Calvin simply flapped his wings and swiftly retreated, narrowly avoiding it.
To onlookers, it seemed as though Calvin had dodged by chance. But he knew better for Rogue, who was observing from the shadows. Calvin was merely attempting to deal with the attack from the perfect distance.
Marco's full-force punch was something even a powerful mage like Rogue wouldn't dare take head-on, let alone the acid-using brute. One punch was enough to take him out of the fight.
"Stop hiding. Did you really think I wouldn't notice you? Or are you waiting for me to take you all down one by one?" Calvin said casually, his tone calm, but to those listening, it was filled with an unstoppable dread.
The fat man now knocked out and buried in the rocks, was a prime example of what would happen if they continued hiding—being picked off one by one.
The remaining four emerged from their hiding spots. Each one had a unique appearance, and aside from the two decent-looking women, the others were downright bizarre.
To Calvin, these men were nothing more than oddballs, including the one he had just punched into submission.
"So, you're the executioners. Finally showing yourselves? But did it take me calling you out to appear? Isn't that pretty pathetic?" Calvin mocked as soon as they appeared.
"You're too arrogant, kid." One of them spoke in a gruff voice, cloaked in a hooded robe with only his eyes visible and two large scythes strapped to his back. "We are the independent unit of Fiore, the Wild Wolf Knights. By the authority we possess, we will now execute you."
"Oh, the kingdom's hidden dark forces, huh? Come on then, show me what you've got," Calvin taunted dismissively but stayed alert. These people might not have magic solid power, but their boldness suggested their magic had something special.
"You'll regret this," said the man in the hood.
Among the four, two were women who looked somewhat capable. Still, in Calvin's opinion, the hooded man, who seemed to be the leader with his "edgy" persona, paled in comparison to Mystogan. Another man held a pole, looking like a foolish fisherman. Calvin thought to himself, "Is this guy really a mage?"
But when the fisherman-looking guy made his move, Calvin was somewhat surprised.
The so-called "foolish fisherman" used a rare type of area-of-effect magic. Suddenly, the gravity around Calvin increased dramatically, making it hard for him to move.
Calvin wasn't all that impressive regarding physical fitness—just slightly above an ordinary person. He couldn't compare to the overwhelmingly challenging Dragon Slayers like Natsu or Gray.
However, restricting Calvin's physical movements didn't mean much.
In an instant, Calvin's body was enveloped in visible pale blue magic, forming a half-skeletal, half-armored giant. It was awe-inspiring.
"Magic Aura No. 6: Susanoo!" he declared.
The three others had begun launching their attacks when they saw the fisherman's magic take effect, but their spells had no impact on the fearsome defenses of the Susanoo. All they managed to create was a slight ripple.
What was even more terrifying was that with just a single wave of its arm, the massive force of the blue giant nearly took all four of them out in one strike, forcing them to retreat and regroup.
One of the women summoned a massive plant-like creature resembling a giant, gaping flower with immense suction power, pulling Calvin into the air.
"A summoner? Not bad. Too bad you're up against me," Calvin said with a grin. In a flash, the Susanoo completed its form, and with one arm holding an ethereal magatama, he swung it forward.
The magatama spun rapidly, forming a fearsome saw-like disc that tore the massive flower.
While Susanoo's arrows could pierce through, the magatama was meant to shred and slice.
"My carnivorous flower, destroyed so easily?!"
"As expected. Don't get careless!" the other woman remarked calmly, holding black paper slips between her fingers but not taking action.
She wanted to unleash her magic on Calvin but couldn't find an opening. The Susanoo completely shielded him, leaving no gaps, and her magic required direct contact with the target's body.
It was incredibly frustrating.
The leader of the Wild Wolf Knights felt the same. His attacks typically targeted the enemy's head, but he doubted his scythes could penetrate Calvin's defenses.
He was equally frustrated.
Calvin decided to end the fight. After destroying the massive flower, he unleashed another spell without dispersing the Susanoo.
More visible magic energy radiated from Susanoo's body, manifesting into spectral wolves that charged at the four enemies.
"Wolf Pack Hunt!"
This was no child's play. For the first time in seven years, Calvin unleashed this attack at full strength, and it truly lived up to the name "Wolf Pack." Countless magic wolves kept surging out, relentlessly charging and exploding.
The Wild Wolf Knights were overwhelmed. The pale wolves consumed their entire field of vision as if the whole Naraku Palace was filled with them.
These were explosive magic wolves, impossible to avoid.
"You've got to be kidding me…" the fisherman muttered, stammering. Though his face was expressionless, those who knew him could tell—he was scared.
And who could blame him? The other three were just as despairing.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions continued for what felt like an eternity before finally ceasing.
In the aftermath of Calvin's onslaught, the already desolate area became even more ruined, with no patch of ground left unscathed, as if a massive earthquake had just torn through the place.
These so-called executioners were nothing more than a joke in front of Calvin.
They were still alive but wouldn't wake up for at least a couple of days. Calvin had planned to have Marco launch a surprise attack, but these guys were so weak that they were defeated before he could even make a serious effort.
"You're still hiding? Now there's no one left. Come out," Calvin roared, addressing someone unseen.
The one he was talking to was the future Rogue, who had been hiding since the beginning.
Calvin hadn't been too hopeful about him showing up, but he was bored and ready to blast through the ceiling with a laser. To his surprise, the future Rogue did indeed appear.
A shadow slid across the floor, and a tall, cold-looking young man emerged from it.
It was Rogue.