"Ugh!!"
Even Erza could barely endure the powerful surge of electricity coursing through her body—but she refused to stop moving.
Clang!
With a decisive swing, she severed the metal restraint around her neck.
In response, the remaining four rings flared, releasing another burst of lightning that violently coursed through her veins.
"Ahhh!"
A scream of pain tore from her lips as the electric current struck again, forcing her down on one knee. Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably, yet her hand never let go of her sword's hilt.
"Gravity Curse!"
At Wes Elwin's command, an unseen weight crashed down on her shoulders. The ground trembled as she was slammed flat with a resounding thud.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Wes approached slowly, each footfall echoing in the tense air. His gaze swept over the fallen knight, and from this angle, his presence exuded an almost regal dominance.
"The Queen of Fairies, an S-Class mage… is this all you amount to?" he said coolly.
"Pah!" Erza spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring up at him with defiance. "Don't underestimate me!"
The words had barely left her lips when the four metal rings snapped open again, firing enchanted ropes that wrapped tightly around her.
"Aahh—!"
Electric energy pulsed through the bindings, making her body convulse violently. Each jolt felt like countless needles piercing her skin, leaving her utterly drained and trembling.
No matter how hard she struggled, the ropes only grew tighter—until her strength was nearly gone.
"Still got a sharp tongue, huh?" Wes murmured, unimpressed.
He reached into his coat and retrieved a small, circular device. Without hesitation, he pressed it against Erza's armored chest.
Her eyes widened in shock as five cold, metallic legs extended from the device, piercing through her armor and embedding themselves deep into her flesh.
A chilling numbness spread instantly. Her magic power—her very essence—was being drained away.
"Ugh…"
A faint moan escaped her as her face turned pale, her body trembling with fatigue.
Wes tilted her chin upward with a finger, his expression unreadable.
"Now tell me, what kind of magic could I trade for you? I doubt your guild master would be stingy when it comes to one of his prized mages."
"You bastard!"
Since the day she joined Fairy Tail, Erza had never felt this helpless. Her pride as a warrior screamed against the humiliation.
"Don't even think of using me to threaten the guild!" she snapped, though every breath brought pain. Sweat rolled down her temples, and her voice trembled from the shock still coursing through her.
"Save your strength," Wes said softly, almost kindly. "Brute force won't help you here."
Erza ignored him, focusing all her attention on the device clamped to her chest that was sealing her magic.
"If you want to drain my magic… then take it all at once!"
She recited silently in her heart, channeling every drop of her remaining energy into the device.
As her power surged through it, thick black smoke began to billow out. The small mechanism groaned under the pressure—quickly exceeding its design limits.
At the same moment, Erza evenly distributed the faint trace of magic left in her body to her four limbs—then moved with everything she had.
Crack!
The ropes snapped. Elusa flipped backward, rolling away to open distance between herself and Wes Elwin. The entire motion was fluid, instinctive—less than three seconds from start to finish.
Wes didn't stop her. In fact, he even applauded.
"Impressive. To still have that kind of spirit in your situation… admirable."
He bent down, picking up the smoking, broken device with a hint of regret in his voice.
"Shame. I hadn't even had time to upgrade it before you went and destroyed it."
Erza seized the brief lull to think rapidly.
Her magic was nearly drained, but her physical strength remained. Retreating would be the safest move—but she couldn't abandon Natsu and the others.
Erza was not the kind to abandon her comrades.
Her armor dissolved in an instant. In its place appeared a red outfit patterned with golden flames and white accents—loose lantern-style pants and tight bandages across her upper body to cover what mattered.
Barefoot, she gripped the crimson demon blade, Crimson Sakura, in her hands.
This was her most primal form—forsaking every ounce of protection and augmentation armor could give.
Wes tilted his head slightly. "That look hardly suits a mage."
"Full Burst!"
Countless bullets rained down like a storm. Erza's movements blurred through the barrage—her agility superhuman, every leap and twist perfectly timed.
She thrust Crimson Sakura straight toward Wes's throat.
Wes vanished in an instant, reappearing behind her.
"Thunder Flash."
Erza dove into a sideways roll, barely dodging the explosion behind her.
Before she could catch her breath, Wes split into four clones. Five Wes Elwins formed a pentagram around her.
Together, they drove their wands into the ground. A massive magic circle flared to life—Erza trapped dead center.
Chains of pure magic erupted from the circle, lashing toward her from every direction.
At first, she managed to dodge—but the longer it went on, the faster they came, the tighter her movements grew.
No good. If this keeps up, I'll be caught. I need to break out now!
While evading, her eyes darted across the battlefield, searching for an opening. She decided to charge left—
—but the Wes clone guarding that side launched a magic bolt, striking her back effortlessly.
"Don't even think about escaping," Wes's voice echoed from all sides. "I'll wear you down bit by bit. Be a good girl and become my bargaining chip."
Erza refused to give in. She darted backward and struck again from another angle—only to be forced back once more.
Wes sighed softly, then all five of his forms raised their wands together, firing bursts of multi-element magic.
Each projectile was weak, but together, they kept her constantly off balance.
One of the shots slammed into her abdomen, sending her staggering several steps.
Damn it… if I still had my armor, an attack like that wouldn't even scratch me…
Her frustration flared—but that split-second of distraction was enough. A chain wrapped tightly around her left wrist.
She swung her blade immediately to cut it—but the chain didn't even dent.
"Pointless," Wes said calmly, pointing his wand.
All the chains in the circle came alive like serpents, lunging at her. They coiled around her arms, legs, neck, and torso—hoisting her up once again into the air.
Wes approached, pulling a vial from his belt. Forcing her mouth open, he poured the contents down her throat.
"Relax," he said almost gently. "It's not poison—just a very strong sedative."
"...You bastard…" Erza muttered weakly, eyelids heavy. Before she could finish, darkness took her.
Wes watched her body go limp—but there was no smile on his face.
He knew full well how powerful Erza truly was. Without careful preparation and the perfect trap, capturing her would have been nearly impossible.
Yet his expression of ease lasted only a moment before his gaze shifted to the side. His tone turned cold.
"Come out," he said quietly. "You've been watching long enough, haven't you?"
°°°
Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!
Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction
I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.
If you do subscribe, please do so in the web patreon, not the ios app.