Village Ruins
"Looks like your so-called power of money can't see through the fog of life!"
The battlefield was engulfed in a toxic green haze as the mist exploded, water vapor scattering everywhere.
"Damn it! What's with this weird magic?!"
"Physical attacks are completely useless!!"
"This guy's magic power alone is stronger than all three of us combined!"
Loke, Cana, and Elfman were clearly struggling. Even with three against one, they were at a disadvantage, forced into a defensive position.
Worse still, the green poisonous mist had seeped into their bodies, disrupting their magic flow and physical functions. Their limbs grew heavy, breathing became labored, and maintaining their magic was nearly impossible.
Elfman was the first to collapse, his beast-arm takeover dissipating as he fell to his knees and passed out. After shielding the others and attacking for so long, his magic reserves were completely drained.
Against an enemy who could turn into mist, Elfman's attacks had little effect. But as a tank, he excelled, absorbing nearly all the enemy's strikes and blocking most of the toxic mist. Thanks to him, Loke and Cana were barely injured, allowing them to focus entirely on offense.
Unfortunately, even with their seamless teamwork, abandoning defense for all-out attacks, they couldn't land a hit on this enemy who could hide in the mist.
"Chloe's magic signature vanished… Did she run into an enemy? Could the boss have been right about there being more mages than just these three?"
Fogg mulled it over, deciding to wrap things up quickly and check on Chloe.
"You… finally decided to show yourself?" Loke panted, clearly struggling. Even for a determined Fairy Tail member, this enemy was pushing him to his limits.
This guy's strength… probably only Kira or Erza could take him down! And this damn toxic mist…
Loke glanced at Elfman, whose face was turning pale from the poison, his worry growing. We need to find Kira fast. He's the only one who can purify this poison!
Loke and Cana exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing. They struggled to their feet, preparing for one final burst to make their escape.
Fogg, still exuding his artsy vibe, acted like the last few minutes of fighting were beneath him. But his eyes betrayed a hint of concern. "Still standing after absorbing that much poison? Impressive."
More mist poured from Fogg's body, but this time it wasn't the green toxic haze—it was a pale yellow fog.
"You're no ordinary mages. Such a shame!" Fogg said, guiding the yellow mist slowly toward them. "I've got other business, so I'll have to finish you off quickly!"
"A different kind of mist?"
"Be careful! It's not poisonous, but it doesn't look any less dangerous."
"I know!"
The two braced themselves as the yellow mist crept closer, careful not to let it touch them. They'd already seen how deadly the green mist was.
Soon enough, they learned what the yellow mist did. As it passed over the wolf corpses surrounding them, a sizzling sound filled the air. The bodies began to melt, corroding as if doused in powerful acid.
Cana's eyes widened as she shouted, "It's acid mist! This yellow stuff is highly corrosive—don't let it touch you!"
They could endure the poison mist with sheer willpower, but this acid mist? One touch could melt them entirely, and inhaling it would be even worse.
"Damn it!" Cana activated her cards again.
Hurricane!
A powerful gust of wind blasted the mist away. The yellow fog not only dissolved the wolf corpses but visibly melted the snow beneath their feet.
Loke couldn't help but comment, "This acid mist can even corrode snow? That's insane!"
"Still got some fight in you? Let's see how you handle this!"
Fogg wasn't fazed by the failed move. He crossed his arms, and a new mist erupted—a thick, pale pink fog that mixed with the acid and poison mists, halting their dispersal in the wind.
"Sticky mist now?"
Just by looking, they could tell its purpose. Normal mist was light and easily scattered by wind magic, but this sticky mist was far harder to blow away.
"So much for the Hurricane card… not that I have the energy to use it again anyway…" Cana gave a bitter smile. After the prolonged fight, she'd not only drained the magic stored in her Hurricane card but also burned through her own reserves.
Loke asked, "Didn't you only use the magic in your wind card? Don't you have others?"
"True," Cana nodded, "but none of them are any use in this situation…"
The pink, yellow, and green mists closed in under Fogg's control, shrinking their safe space to a circle barely two meters wide.
"Is this really it?"
At that critical moment, a powerful torrent of water surged from the distance, forming a massive whirlpool around them. Like a water wall, it blocked the three-colored mist, spinning and diluting it completely.
"This magic?!"
"Who's that?!"
Both Fogg, controlling the mist, and Loke and Cana, trapped within it, were stunned by the sudden aid.
"What are you punks doing in my hometown?!"
A clear, sharp voice rang out as a petite, monstrous-looking girl approached.
Wendy looked bizarre, nothing like a normal human. Her body was blue-green, covered in scale-like armor. Her ears resembled bat wings, her hands had turned into sharp claws still dripping with water, and a thick, fish-like tail trailed behind her.
Clearly, the water torrent was her magic.
To an ordinary person, she might look like a monster or a demon. But Loke and Cana knew better—this was the result of Take Over magic.
Take Over magic allowed the user to take on the powers of their target, usually a living creature. Though rare, some mages could even take over machines, like Jenny from Blue Pegasus. Her strength was average, but her looks made her a frequent model for magical magazines.
Only mages with a special constitution could use Take Over magic. In Fairy Tail, the Strauss siblings were prime examples: Mirajane took over demon souls, Elfman took over beast souls, and Lisanna took over animal souls. The transformation granted the target's powers but drastically altered the user's appearance.
"Take Over magic? A demon, like Mirajane's?"
"We're saved… but who is this girl? She looks so young…"
"She said 'hometown'? Is she from this village originally?"
Loke and Cana had plenty of questions, but now wasn't the time for answers.
"You… you're from the Aisisniu tribe…"
Fogg's expression grew serious as he stared at Wendy, silent. That magic she just used…
Wendy shot Fogg a defiant look. "So, you're one of those demons, huh? Wanna settle this right now?"
Settle it? No… not yet. Better check on Chloe first…
Fogg gave Wendy a long look before dissolving into mist and vanishing.
Wendy walked up to Cana, glancing at the guild mark on her body. "You guys are from Fairy Tail too?"
"That's right!" Hearing her mention the guild, Cana immediately thought of Natsu's mission. "Are you the client?"
"Come with me," Wendy said coldly, turning to leave without directly answering.
Cana and Loke exchanged a glance, helped the unconscious Elfman up, and followed her.