"Switch to a faster Take Over form—don't engage it head-on! Just harass it from the periphery!"
The difference in their abilities was clear at this moment. Even while fighting the Beast King directly, Mirajane still had the capacity to give instructions to Elfman.
Elfman never doubted or refused his sister's commands.
He quickly initiated a Take Over into a Weretiger—the fastest Beast Soul he currently possessed, which also offered decent offensive power.
However, the Beast King had already shattered Elfman's right arm with a single punch earlier.
Now, he couldn't lift his right hand at all; the only reason he hadn't lost his combat ability entirely was due to the formidable defense of his previous Iron Bull form, which had absorbed the brunt of the impact.
This setback dampened Elfman's recent surge of confidence.
Ever since he acquired the Iron Bull form, his defenses were rarely broken during missions.
Of course, this was largely because he hadn't undertaken any S-Class Quests.
Had he done so, there would have been plenty of people—or monsters—capable of breaking through his guard.
Mirajane felt they needed to end the battle quickly.
They couldn't give the Beast King too much time to recover, and besides, she had never been the type for prolonged fights.
"Evil Explosion!"
While Elfman kept the Beast King occupied, Mirajane, hovering in the air, spread her arms and began to spin.
Vast amounts of Magical Power surged from her claws, swirling around her to form a violent magical tornado.
The tornado, composed of dark Magical Power, shot rapidly toward the Beast King.
Struck head-on, the monster was sent flying uncontrollably backward.
It crashed against the rocky wall, creating a massive crater, before slowly tumbling to the ground.
"Soul Extinguisher!"
Seizing the opportunity, Mirajane pressed her advantage.
A tremendous amount of dark Magical Power gathered and compressed between her hands.
A terrifying surge of energy erupted from her palms, forming a massive magical shockwave that blasted toward the fallen Beast King.
BOOM————
For a moment, the earth shook, and the mountains trembled.
Even Elfman, standing on the periphery, felt unsteady on his feet.
Rubble and dust completely obscured the Beast King's form.
Mirajane slowly descended to the ground, released her Satan Soul, and leaned forward with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
After consecutively using Dark Spark, Evil Explosion, and following up with a Soul Extinguisher, her Magic Power was nearly depleted.
"Sis! Are you okay?" Elfman hurried to Mirajane's side, supporting her with his still-functional left arm.
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you okay?" Mirajane asked with concern, her eyes fixed on Elfman's right arm, which hung limp and powerless.
"It's nothing. I'll recover after some rest back home. A real man isn't bothered by a little injury like this!" Elfman grinned goofily, baring his teeth.
Though he often proclaimed himself a "real man," he always reverted to this boyish demeanor in front of his sister.
"Once we confirm the Beast King is no longer a threat, you should try to Take Over it, Elfman."
Despite her exhaustion, Mirajane was genuinely happy to have found a promising form for her brother.
A gentle smile graced her face.
Mirajane and Elfman cautiously approached the pile of rubble burying the Beast King.
"Sis, let me handle moving the rocks." Elfman volunteered to clear the stones.
Even with only one usable arm, when it came to physical labor, he was undoubtedly stronger than Mirajane.
Mirajane nodded, keeping a close watch on the debris. During this time, the Beast King remained as still as if it were dead.
"Sis, the Beast King is unconscious!" Elfman, having finished moving the stones, turned and spoke excitedly to Mirajane.
"Let me see."
Seeing that the Beast King had shown no reaction for so long, Mirajane relaxed her guard and slowly approached the fallen monster.
She sensed that it had indeed lost its ability to fight.
"Then you try..." Mirajane was about to tell Elfman to attempt the Take Over.
Suddenly, the Beast King's palm slowly enlarged in her vision...
'Not good! The Beast King is faking it!'
This thought flashed through Mirajane's mind a split second before she was sent flying by the Beast King's strike.
Elfman was also affected by the shockwave, but since the Beast King was targeting Mirajane, his injuries weren't severe.
Mirajane crashed into the rock wall from the blow and didn't stand up for a long time.
She hadn't used Satan Soul at that moment—if she hadn't focused heavily on physical training over the years, that single strike might have killed her instantly.
'My left arm seems broken, and I'm injured everywhere...'
Mirajane tried to push herself up with her arms but failed after several attempts.
It wasn't entirely accurate to say the Beast King was faking.
Mirajane had inflicted significant damage on it, and even with its physical resilience, it would need a long time to recover.
That was exactly why it had decided to feign unconsciousness.
Elfman was weak, so the Beast King paid him no mind.
It didn't care that Elfman had been nearby for so long—its goal was to lure the dangerous female close and eliminate her.
Struggling, the Beast King climbed to its feet.
This was where the advantage of a Magic Beast became apparent—their physical bodies were far superior to humans.
Though it had also crashed into the rock wall, Mirajane couldn't get up, while the Beast King could stand by enduring the pain.
"ROAR————"
After rising, the Beast King let out a powerful roar that echoed endlessly.
It was furious—it had never been so severely injured before.
It was going to kill these humans!
Step by step, the Beast King approached Mirajane.
It had to kill her first—she was the real threat!
"Sis!"
Elfman quickly used Take Over to become a leopard again, positioning himself in front of Mirajane.
Mirajane's expression changed, and despite her injuries, she shouted, "Elfman, run! You're no match for it!"
"No, Sis. You've always protected me and Lisanna. I'm a man, and a man must protect his family!" Elfman's eyes held a determination she had never seen before.
In reality, Elfman was terrified.
His legs were trembling uncontrollably.
His sister was an S-Class Mage, and even after so many attacks, she hadn't been able to defeat the Beast King.
But he couldn't step aside—behind him was his sister. This time, it was his turn to protect her!
Watching Elfman stand firmly in front of her, Mirajane felt moved but even more regretful.
Why hadn't she used Satan Soul before approaching? She had been far too careless, especially since Raizel had warned her to be cautious.
"ROAR!"
The Beast King threw a powerful punch, intending to knock Elfman away.
Staring at the fallen Mirajane, its eyes turned blood-red, gleaming with a bloodthirsty glare.
Only one thought filled its mind: 'Kill her! Kill her! This human was the one who caused my pain!'
Elfman, having Taken Over the leopard, was fast enough to dodge the punch.
He quickly ran behind the Beast King.
There, he released the Take Over.
"Elfman!" Mirajane's pupils contracted sharply as she guessed Elfman's intention.
Elfman knew very well that he couldn't defeat the Beast King in his current state.
Just moments ago, even with the speed of the leopard, he had been unable to breach the Beast King's defenses.
He had decided to try something desperate—attempting to use Beast Soul: Take Over on the Beast King itself.
Using Take Over on a Magic Beast without first incapacitating it was an extremely dangerous move, essentially suicide.
But he had no other choice.
If he didn't try, both he and his sister would die.
Waiting for Lisanna to arrive wouldn't help either—she was currently even weaker than he was.
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