Chapter 189: You Are Too Humble
"It's alright, it's just that you guys are too weak."
Ren's voice was calm, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a sharp blade. He hovered in the air, the black bat wings on his back beating slowly, stirring up dust and debris from the ruined landscape. His emerald eyes, devoid of any warmth, looked down at the unconscious forms of the Oración Seis members he had just dismantled.
However, his gaze shifted. He sensed a fluctuation—a sudden, terrifying spike in magical power that eclipsed anything he had felt from Brain or the others.
Ren suddenly remembered that the Oración Seis still had a Guild Master. Not Brain, but the other personality that Brain had sealed away. The true leader.
The dust cleared, revealing a man with blood-red eyes and pale skin, stripped of the intellectual facade Brain had worn. His magical power was wild, chaotic, and undeniably potent.
'This magic power...' Ren analyzed internally, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'It's dense. Oppressive. In terms of the system's rating, this guy is probably a little over Seven Stars. That puts him higher than Jura's current Magic Power.'
"Hahahahahaha! That's true! Brain has been working on this for so many years only to gather such trash and waste," the man laughed maniacally, his voice grating and filled with malice. "But no matter how useless they are, they are still members of my Guild, and as the Guild Master, I must stand up for them."
He stepped forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet from the sheer weight of his presence. "I am Zero. The destruction of everything is my only joy."
Ren raised an eyebrow, his expression unimpressed. "You just want to fight, don't you? We are enemies anyway, so there's no need for so many excuses. The desire to kill us is practically overflowing from your eyes."
"Haha! Was I seen through? That's right! I just want to destroy!! Destroy everything, no matter what!!!" Zero roared, his face twisting into a mask of pure, unadulterated madness.
He raised his palm, and dark, ominous energy gathered rapidly, swirling like a mini black hole.
"Look out!" Jura issued a warning, his voice strained. He could feel the danger inherent in that magic.
Boom----!!
The ground erupted violently. A large number of Dark Ghost Bombs—spheres of volatile dark magic—shot upwards from the earth, screaming like vengeful spirits.
"Wuaaahhhh!!"
Everyone was affected, unable to dodge in time. Natsu, Lucy, and the others were thrown back by the shockwaves, tumbling across the broken terrain. Even Jura struggled to maintain his footing against the barrage.
"Dark Capriccio!!"
Zero didn't let up. He put his right hand behind his back, joined his left index and middle fingers, and thrust them forward. A high-speed rotating Dark Spiral Magic—a drilling beam of concentrated darkness—shot towards Jura with piercing momentum.
"Iron Rock Wall!"
Jura reacted instantly, slamming his palms together. The earth obeyed his command, rising to form a thick, iron-hard defensive wall.
Boom boom boom!!
The Dark Capriccio slammed into the wall. But instead of being blocked, it drilled right through. The Iron Rock Wall was instantly shattered, turning into crumbling pebbles.
"What?!" Jura couldn't believe it. Before, he could easily block Brain's magic, but now, facing Zero, his absolute defense felt like wet paper. "The penetration power... it's on a completely different level!"
What was going on with this guy?
However, Jura was still one of the Ten Wizard Saints. He gritted his teeth and immediately changed the direction of the remaining Iron Rock Wall, twisting the earth to alter the attack's trajectory.
The dark beam grazed past him, slicing a deep gash into the ground behind him.
"Hah!"
Zero waved his hand dismissively. The magic that Jura had diverted surprisingly changed direction again mid-air, curving unnaturally to strike Jura from the side.
"Wuaah!!"
Jura cried out in pain as the dark beam slammed into his ribs, sending his large body flying into a pile of rubble.
"Don't think I'm the same as Brain," Zero scoffed, his eyes glowing with sadistic delight. "My magic is not so easily deflected."
"Vanish!"
Zero waved his hand again. The dark magic circled around like a homing missile, aiming to pierce Jura's body while he was down.
"Jura-san!" Erza shouted. She immediately drew her sword and rushed forward to block, her armor clanking as she moved. "Adamantine Armor!"
She raised her shields, intending to intercept the spell.
Crack crack!
The Magic Swords and shields were all shattered upon impact. Erza was forced back, her feet skidding across the ground, her arms numb from the blow.
"Die!" Zero laughed, preparing to attack again.
Swish!
A streak of emerald light cut through the battlefield. The Luz de la Luna slashed onto Zero's Dark Capriccio magic.
Boom----!!
The drilling beam of darkness was directly struck and sent flying by the Luz de la Luna. The collision of energies created a shockwave that cleared the immediate area.
Boom boom boom boom!!
The deflected Dark Capriccio magic pierced through all the nearby buildings, collapsing ancient stone structures as if they were made of sand.
Zero stopped and looked at Ren. From Brain's memories, he had already learned the details about this brat. This brat's achievements were astonishing.
He had defeated two Ten Wizard Saints—Jose Porla and Jellal Fernandes. He had suppressed the Celestial Spirit King in single combat. He was even capable of teleporting away the Magic Council's Ultimate Weapon, Etherion.
Coupled with Ren's performance during his previous fight against the Oración Seis—easily dismantling Racer, Angel, Cobra, and Hoteye—even Zero had to treat him with caution.
"This kid..." Zero's eyes narrowed. "He's the real threat."
Ren floated down, standing between Zero and the injured alliance members. He didn't look back as he spoke.
"Erza, you guys leave first. I'll handle this guy. Also, everyone, stay far away from here."
"Ren, this guy is only one person. We should fight him together," Erza argued, clutching her sword.
If Ren were in Peak Condition, Erza wouldn't mind letting him face the opponent alone. She knew how strong he was. But Ren had been fighting for too long. He had fought the Oración Seis, dealt with their traps, and had been using Take Over Magic: Murciélago for an extended period. His Magic Power consumption was too high.
"That's right! This guy's Magic Power is terrifying, even surpassing mine," Jura also said from the side, wiping blood from his mouth. He had just sustained some injuries, and his Magic Power consumption from the battle with Brain and the Nirvana activation was considerable. He couldn't allow Ren to face such a dangerous person alone.
"Exactly! Working together, we can definitely take him down!" Lucy also said, summoning one of her keys, though her hand trembled slightly.
"Ugh ugh!" Natsu, fighting off the nausea from Motion Sickness caused by the moving Nirvana, still wanted to fight. "I... I can still..."
Since the previous battle had just ended, Happy's Magic Power was also depleted, so he could only throw Natsu onto Nirvana's surface, unable to fly him.
Ren smiled, a faint, confident curve of his lips that seemed out of place on the demonic face of Ulquiorra.
"Alright, everyone, it's just one person we're dealing with. We don't need this many people. If it weren't for the people on Nirvana just now, I would have already set out to destroy Nirvana."
Erza froze for a moment, then realized something. She looked at Ren's calm demeanor and the destructive potential he held.
"Ren... you intend to..."
Ren nodded. "Just as you thought. As for Magic Power, you don't need to worry; I have enough to deal with this guy. Having you here would actually hinder my performance. I can't go all out if I have to worry about protecting you."
"Well... alright!"
Seeing Ren's insistence and the absolute confidence in his eyes, the group had no choice but to agree. They knew Ren wasn't one to boast without reason.
Jura helped Lyon up, supporting the younger mage. "Your Excellency Ren, please be extra careful!"
Erza helped Gray up. "Ren, we're leaving him to you."
Lucy supported Natsu. "Go for it, Ren! Take him down!"
"Aye!"
"Don't worry!"
The group quickly left, retreating to a safer distance. Their Magic Power was almost depleted, and they had all sustained serious injuries. Staying here would only get in the way and serve as potential hostages or collateral damage.
Zero looked at Ren, grinning sinisterly as he watched the others flee. He didn't stop them. His interest was solely focused on the white-clad demon in front of him.
"Everyone who was getting in the way is gone. It's time to get serious now," Zero said, cracking his neck.
"They are not people who get in the way; they are my Companions," Ren corrected him calmly. "Perhaps their current strength isn't enough, but they are all striving to become stronger. Don't underestimate them. Their future will be incredibly strong, perhaps even stronger than mine."
Ren wasn't just saying this to be noble. He knew the meta. The power scaling and Anime Level Strength of Fairy Tail are absolutely top-tier. Whether it's the mechanisms of emotional power-ups or the sheer numerical values of magic, it's no worse than the Big Three Shonen Manga.
Natsu and the others are the Protagonist Group. Everyone's strength will increase significantly in the Late Stage. Natsu, in particular, would eventually be able to slay Dragons and Gods.
His current strength is indeed considerably higher than Natsu's, mainly due to the System and his high-level Character Cards. But that gap will constantly shrink over time. Perhaps later, his strength might not even match Natsu's; after all, that person is the true Protagonist of this world, the one with the plot armor thicker than Nirvana's hull.
Therefore, he naturally wouldn't underestimate them. He respected their potential.
"Heh heh! You are too humble."
Zero wouldn't believe those words. In his eyes, those guys were no different from trash. Weaklings who needed to group together to survive were unworthy of his attention. Only absolute power mattered.
Ren spread his hands and said, "I'm telling the truth, but whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Zero curled his lips into a cruel, sadistic smile. Dark magic flared around him like a black aura.
"Don't worry! They won't become stronger than you! After I deal with you, I will make them completely disappear from this world, so they can keep you company!!"
"Dark Rondo!!"
Zero released magic from his hand, wielding it like a flexible, deadly whip of pure darkness. It slashed through the air with a mournful howl.
Boom!
Ren swung the Luz de la Luna and blocked it. The impact sent sparks flying, but Ren's arm didn't waver.
"And there's more!"
Zero released the same type of magic from his other hand and swung it at Ren again. A dual assault of dark whips.
Ren swung the Luz de la Luna and knocked it away with precise, fluid movements.
The two spells then constantly weaved through the ground and surrounding buildings, attacking Ren from multiple angles like living serpents. They smashed pillars, pulverized stones, and sought to ensnare him.
Ren either dodged with high-speed movements or used the Luz de la Luna to strike them away and change their direction. He moved like a phantom, his white robes fluttering amidst the chaos of dark magic.
"Sonído!"
Ren's body flashed instantly. A static buzz filled the air as he vanished from Zero's line of sight, appearing in mid-air above him. His emerald eyes locked onto the target, and his index finger pointed at Zero below.
"Cero Oscuras!!"
Whoosh-----!
A massive beam of black spiritual energy, outlined in neon green, rapidly lunged toward Zero below. The air screamed as the Cero tore through it, darkening the sky.
"Hah!"
Zero didn't dodge. He waved both hands, and two Dark Rondo spells intertwined, spiraling upwards to meet the Cero Oscuras together.
Boom----!!
The collision of the two different energies caused a violent explosion to erupt in mid-air. Black and green lights clashed, devouring each other, creating a sphere of chaotic energy that expanded rapidly.
"Dark Gravity!!"
Zero seized the opportunity amidst the smoke. He aimed both hands at Ren.
Ren felt a sudden, crushing weight. A powerful gravitational pull seized him, dragging him downwards. The Reishi Support Points beneath his feet shattered under the immense pressure.
His body rushed toward Zero like a meteor.
Ren flapped his wings to adjust his position, fighting the gravity. He used the momentum to his advantage, gripping the Luz de la Luna in his hand and slashing toward Zero as he descended.
Zero raised his palm, magic converging into a spinning vortex.
"Dark Capriccio!"
The rotating dark magic went straight toward the Luz de la Luna.
Boom-----!!
[Akarin Note:
Your Support Keeps This Story Alive!
If you're enjoying this novel, your support means the world to me. Simple actions like leaving a review, power stone, comment, or sharing the story let me know you're out there. It's the greatest motivation for me to keep updating until the very end and ensures this project continues.
For those who wish to support me more directly, you can join my Patreon at [patreon.com/AkarinTL]. As a thank-you, you'll receive access to 50 advanced chapters.
I hope I am still worthy of your support. My life truly depends on this... haha, I know I'm so shameless.]