Chapter 178 I'll Take Care of You in an Instant
A heavy silence descended upon the group of Dark Mages. The revelation brought by Gemini hung in the air like a guillotine blade.
"Etherion..."
Brain's grip on his staff tightened, his knuckles turning white. The name alone carried a weight that could crush mountains. Etherion wasn't some low-end toy like the Magic Cannon Jupiter they had just lost. It was the ultimate weapon of the Magic Council, a satellite-based magic array capable of erasing an entire country from the map in a single shot.
It was the nuclear deterrent of the magical world. It was precisely because the Magic Council possessed Etherion that it kept all Mages on the continent of Ishgar in check. If not for the existence of that weapon hanging in the sky like the Sword of Damocles, it was uncertain whether this continent would still be ruled by the light or if it would have long since plunged into an era of chaos dominated by Dark Guilds.
That thing was synonymous with absolute destruction and death.
Brain frowned, the tribal markings on his face seeming to deepen as he processed the information. "No, this is very likely to be true."
"What?!"
Cobra scoffed, crossing his arms. His maroon hair rustled as he shook his head in disbelief. "Brain, you wouldn't believe the nonsense this Celestial Spirit is spouting, would you? The information he retrieved might have been wrong from the start. Or maybe that girl's memories were manipulated. Transferring Etherion? That's a fairy tale."
Brain shook his head slowly, his eyes dark with memory. "No, Cobra. You are too young to know. The Tower of Heaven... I participated in its construction and design years ago. I know its capabilities and its weaknesses. The Magic Council did indeed fire Etherion at it recently. I felt the disturbance in the mana stream."
He paced back and forth, his voice low and analytical. "The last time I returned to the site of the Tower of Heaven, only a pile of ruins remained. If the Tower had simply absorbed the Etherion blast but failed the activation sequence, the resulting instability would have vaporized the island instantly. There would be nothing left but a crater in the ocean."
"But that island is still there," Brain continued, a rare hint of unease in his voice. "It is reduced to ruins, yes, but the landmass remains. This indicates only one thing: The energy of Etherion did not detonate there. It was truly transferred away. Someone, somehow, moved a country-destroying blast to another location using a method unknown even to me."
The members of the Oración Seis exchanged glances. Brain and Jellal had a cooperative relationship in the past; Brain had taught Jellal the Square of Self-Destruction and other complex magics. As the former director of the Magic Development Bureau, Brain possessed a vast amount of magical knowledge. If he said it was possible, it was possible.
"..."
The group quieted down, the gravity of the situation sinking in. Regardless of what means the other party used to transfer Etherion, a mage capable of such a feat was terrifying. It meant their enemy wasn't just strong; he operated on a scale that defied logic.
"We don't need to worry about that guy for now," Brain said, shaking off the unease. He regained his composure, his ambitious grin returning. "Our main goal is to find 'Nirvana' first. As long as we find 'Nirvana,' no matter how powerful that guy is, it doesn't matter. In fact, the more powerful he is, the better."
Hearing Brain say this, the tension in the group relaxed slightly.
"That's right," Midnight mumbled, half-asleep on his flying carpet.
'Nirvana' was a Grand Magic capable of inverting light and darkness. It could twist a person's morality, turning the good evil and the evil good. It meant they could convert Ren—this monster of a mage—from the light faction to their dark faction.
"Imagine," Brain chuckled darkly, "if this fellow, famous throughout the Ishgar continent as a hero, suddenly became the spearhead of our Dark Alliance. It would be... poetic."
"The remaining areas to search are these five," Brain instructed, projecting a map with his magic. "Each of us will be responsible for one sector. We have mobilized our subordinate guilds; each area currently has over a hundred people searching. I believe it won't be long before we get results."
"No choice, then let's go find it," Cobra sighed, scratching his head. Although he somewhat wanted to seek revenge on Ren for that humiliating punch earlier, his logic won out. Finding Nirvana would give them absolute power.
Angel smiled, playing with a coin. "Huh? Just searching is boring. Want to have a competition? The person who finds Nirvana first..."
"Can get 1 million Jewels!! It's decided!" Hoteye interrupted, his eyes practically turning into yen symbols. "Money is everything! With that bonus, I can..."
Racer adjusted his scarf, his foot tapping impatiently. "Since the work has been decided, let's start quickly. I'll finish my search before you slowpokes even start."
Whoosh!
With a gust of wind, Racer vanished. The other members of the Oración Seis quickly dispersed, moving towards their respective assigned areas in the endless sea of trees.
Elsewhere in the Endless Tree Sea.
Ren walked through the dense forest, the leaves crunching softly under his boots. Beside him walked a nervous Wendy Marvell and a vigilant Carla.
Ren was not in a hurry to find the Oración Seis. In such a vast, magical forest, randomly searching for six people was inefficient. He had tried to use his Six Eyes to scan the area, but the entire forest was saturated with a thick, cloying black magic that acted like a fog, obscuring his precision vision. It was annoying, but not a dealbreaker.
His plan was simple: let the rats find the cheese. Once the Oración Seis found 'Nirvana', the magical signature would be unmistakable. Then, he would swoop in and round them all up in one go. Efficiency was key.
"Brother Ren, you were so amazing just now!" Wendy chirped, breaking the silence. She looked up at Ren with eyes full of sparkling admiration. "You blocked that giant cannon beam like it was nothing! And you even scared away those terrifying guys from the Oración Seis with just a look!"
Ren chuckled, enjoying the little Dragon Slayer's praise. It was a nice change of pace from Natsu's shouting or Gray's stripping. He patted Wendy's blue hair gently. "Wendy is also very cute; you'll definitely be a great beauty when you grow up. Maybe even more popular than Mira."
"Really?!" Wendy blushed, holding her cheeks. "Ehehe..."
Carla, flying beside them, crossed her arms and sighed. "Don't spoil her, Ren. And you, Wendy! Wipe that silly look off your face. You are Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer! You need to become powerful too, not just admire others!"
Wendy drooped immediately, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "But... but fighting is so scary! They looked so mean!"
Ren laughed softly. "No need to rush; just take your time, Wendy. Everyone has their own pace. Since you specialize in healing and support right now, then focus on being the best support you can be. There's no need to force yourself to become a frontline combat Mage immediately."
"Really?" Wendy looked up hopefully.
"But enemies won't spare Wendy just because she's a support," Carla countered sharply, though her tone was concerned. "In the battlefield, the healer is often the primary target."
"She can learn slowly," Ren assured them. "Besides, that's why she has allies."
Just then, Ren stopped.
Two pitch-black trees stood directly in their path. Unlike the surrounding greenery, these trees were dyed a deep, unnatural charcoal black. They seemed to absorb the light around them, emitting a faint, sickly aura that made one feel nauseous just by looking at them.
Ren's ears twitched under his hair. His enhanced nose caught a medley of scents drifting on the wind: unwashed bodies, cheap ale, and the metallic tang of weapons.
"Someone's coming," Ren said calmly. "And quite a lot of them."
Thanks to his rigorous training and magic, Ren had long completed the Cultivation of Sun Breathing · Total Concentration · Constant. His body and five senses had been permanently enhanced to superhuman levels, even without active magic. He could hear heartbeats and smell intentions.
Soon, rustling sounds came from the bushes all around them. Shadows flickered between the trees.
"You're saying this is caused by the influence of Nirvana, right, Brother Zad?" a rough voice asked.
"Ya ha! Such terrifying magic has caused the very earth to die, turning the trees black! It's so artistic, Brother Gad!"
Two men emerged from the undergrowth. They had strange, elongated faces that resembled monkeys more than humans, and they wore garish, punk-style clothing.
Immediately after, a horde of people appeared from all directions. They dropped from branches and stepped out from behind trunks, completely surrounding Ren, Wendy, and Carla. There were at least a hundred of them, all grinning with malicious intent.
"Waaahhh!!" Wendy shrieked, clutching her dress. She immediately hid behind Ren's leg.
"So many people!..." Her voice trembled. "How could so many people gather together..."
Carla was also panicking now, her tail fluffing up. "If it were ten or eight, maybe... but now there are at least a hundred people around! We're outnumbered!"
The leader of the group, a man with a wild mohawk named Zad, stepped forward. He squinted at Ren's hand.
"Fairy Tail? That brings back some very bad memories!" Zad spat on the ground. "Last time, a blonde lightning brat from your guild beat us up. This time, let's hunt some little fairies for revenge!"
This Zad was indeed the guy who was instantly defeated by Laxus Dreyar in a small tavern some time ago. The humiliation still burned.
"We are the Naked Bandage Men, a guild under the Oración Seis! Ya ho! Let's play!"
"Surrender your valuables and the girl!" another thug shouted.
"You are surrounded!!"
Carla flew closer to Ren's shoulder, her voice tight. "Ren, there are so many enemies, and Wendy can't fight! What should we do? Should we fly away?"
Ren didn't look worried. He didn't even take a combat stance. He simply smiled, a relaxed, almost arrogant smile.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "Leave it to me."
He stepped forward, creating a small distance between himself and the girls.
"Full Body Take Over · Gojo Satoru!"
Magic power flared, blue and intense. In an instant, Ren's appearance changed. His hair turned snow-white and spiked up, defying gravity. A black blindfold materialized over his eyes, and his casual clothes were replaced by a high-collared, dark uniform. He stood taller, leaner, exuding an aura of untouchable power.
Ever since he drew the Gojo Satoru card from the system, Ren preferred to Take Over this form for crowd control. The passive defense of the Limitless Cursed Technique—the ability to slow down anything approaching him to infinity—allowed him to avoid many unnecessary troubles. Dirt, attacks, even sound could be filtered.
Ren held Wendy and Carla securely at his waist with his left arm, lifting them effortlessly off the ground. With his right hand, he raised two fingers—index and middle—and crossed them.
"Sorry," Ren said, his voice echoing with a strange, distorted resonance. "I don't have time to play with you lot. I'll finish you in an instant."
Zad was enraged upon hearing this. Veins popped on his forehead. He gave a thumbs down to Ren, sneering, "How dare you look down on us, you pretty boy brat! You think changing your clothes scares us?! You're asking for death!"
"Get him! Tear him apart!"
"Attack! Kill them!!"
The mob roared and charged. Swords, axes, and magic blasts flew towards Ren from every direction, a tsunami of violence aimed at a single point.
Ren didn't move. He didn't dodge. Under the blindfold, his Six Eyes saw everything—the flow of magic, the trajectory of every weapon, the fear hidden beneath their anger.
He calmly chanted, his voice cutting through the noise of the charging horde:
"Domain Expansion..."
The air suddenly grew heavy. The colors of the forest seemed to invert for a split second.
"...Unlimited Void!"
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