Chapter 99: FTRJ: Chapter 99
"Heh…" A dismissive laugh escaped Angel's lips.
This caused Angel to frown. "You can still laugh?"
Jura, breathing heavily, said, "You won't succeed. We have Finn!" His words were filled with unwavering trust.
"Oh, Finn is troublesome, but not unbeatable."
To Angel's statement, Jura smiled. "You don't know what kind of monster he is. As I said, even though we're both Ten Wizard Saints, the difference between Finn and me is like heaven and earth."
"As long as he's here, we won't lose!" With a final surge of effort, Jura lost consciousness.
Angel smiled disdainfully at the unconscious Jura. "You don't know the true power of Oración Seis…"
"Let's take care of these troublesome people quickly," she said, ignoring Jura and hurrying away.
…
"Run faster, Wendy!" Carla urged, pulling Wendy's hand as they ran.
"I know, Carla," Wendy replied, nodding. She glanced at Finn, who was deliberately slowing his pace, understanding that he was prioritizing her safety. She silently encouraged herself. "Wendy, you have to run faster! Don't give up!"
Finn watched the little girl's desperate run, shaking his head. "Such a strong-willed child."
"Wendy, you're a Dragon Slayer, right?" Finn asked as they ran.
"What?! Finn knows about me?" Wendy's eyes widened in disbelief, amazed that her idol was aware of her.
Finn nodded. "I sensed it from your magic."
"Wendy's a Sky Dragon Slayer!" Carla announced proudly.
"Um… but I don't know any attack magic, so I can't really fight…" Wendy said shyly, lowering her head.
"Wendy, why do you underestimate yourself so much?" Carla said, exasperated by Wendy's self-doubt.
"But… I really can't fight," Wendy mumbled, her voice tinged with self-deprecation.
"Wendy, not all magic is for fighting. Support magic is just as important," Finn corrected her gently.
"Besides, Sky Dragon Slayer magic, as I recall, specializes in healing, which is incredibly rare. You should be proud of that," Finn added.
Finn stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Moreover, this is magic used to fight dragons. It must have combat applications; you just haven't discovered them yet."
"Really?" Hope flickered in Wendy's eyes.
Finn said with certainty, "Dragon Slayer magic is fundamentally designed to counter the overwhelming attacks of dragons. I can feel it…"
Finn looked at Wendy's small frame. "You, too, have the power of a sleeping dragon within you!"
Wendy was stunned.
Finn patted Wendy's head gently. "Only by believing in yourself will your power truly flow endlessly."
Seeing Wendy's still-questioning expression, Finn smiled reassuringly. "Let's go!"
As they ran and talked, a shadow fell over them.
Meanwhile, in the Whispering Woods, Natsu and his group were running swiftly through the trees.
"Slow down, Natsu!" Gray shouted, struggling to keep up.
"Heh, no way," Natsu said, sticking his tongue out at Gray.
Erza quickly caught up. "You weren't supposed to run ahead!"
Natsu chuckled as he ran. "There are only six enemies. If we don't hurry, Finn will beat us there!"
"Natsu! This isn't the time for heroics!" Erza's voice was sharp with frustration.
Sensing Erza's anger, Natsu immediately slowed his pace slightly.
"But… I keep smelling something weird here," Natsu said, his nostrils twitching slightly. For a Dragon Slayer, a keen sense of smell was a defining characteristic.
Erza frowned, turning to Gray. "You noticed it too, right?"
Gray nodded slightly. "I'm not entirely sure what it is, but the atmosphere in this forest has been strangely unsettling ever since we entered."
Lyon, closely following the Fairy Tail group, also urged caution. "We need to be extra careful, Sherria."
"Waaaaah!" Lucy, lagging far behind, cried out in frustration, watching the others distance themselves further and further.
"Wait for me! You guys are running too fast! Shouldn't ladies have priority?" she shouted ahead.
"How about a princess carry?"
"Or let me hold your hand!"
"Don't just leave me behind!"
The Blue Pegasus Trimen had already overtaken her, their running seemingly effortless and graceful.
"This is so annoying!" Lucy cried, even more frustrated.
They burst through the trees into a clearing. Natsu suddenly stopped, but Gray behind him didn't react in time…
Bang—
Completely unprepared, Natsu was sent sprawling to the ground after being forcefully rammed from behind by Gray.
"What the heck are you doing, sticking so close to me?!" Natsu yelled, getting back on his feet.
"It's your fault for stopping suddenly! How was I supposed to react in time?!" Gray retorted, refusing to take responsibility.
The two of them once again bumped their foreheads together, sparks of magical energy crackling between them.
Unable to tolerate their childish antics any longer, Erza forcefully grabbed both of their heads, slamming them together with a resounding thud that sent a shiver of fear down the spines of Lyon and Sherria, who were watching from behind.
"Are these guys really teammates?" Sherria whispered incredulously.
"Who knows?" Lyon replied with a shake of his head.
"Natsu, did you sense something?" Erza asked after forcefully subduing Natsu and Gray.
Natsu got to his feet, his expression now serious. "There's someone ahead. I can smell them."
Upon hearing Natsu's confirmation, Erza's gaze immediately locked onto the far end of the clearing.
As Natsu had predicted, five figures slowly emerged from the shadows at the edge of the clearing.
"That's…" Lyon's eyes narrowed as he focused intently on the approaching figures.
"Oración Seis!" Sherria and Gray simultaneously identified the approaching figures.
"Huh? Why did you stop running?" Lucy and the Blue Pegasus Trimen arrived, panting slightly from their hurried pursuit.
"The enemy has appeared," Natsu announced calmly.
"Where's Finn?" Erza surveyed their group, noticing the absence of Finn, Jura, and Ichiya, her brow furrowing in concern.
"No idea. We ran too fast…" Lyon replied with a helpless shrug.
Just as a wave of uncertainty washed over the group, a deafening roar echoed from the sky, instantly capturing everyone's attention.
"That's… the Christina, the magic bombardment ship!" Hibiki announced proudly.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Lucy exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder at the sheer size and imposing appearance of the vessel.
"But why is it stopping back there? Shouldn't it be here, destroying Oración Seis?" Lucy questioned, her voice laced with confusion.
The members of Blue Pegasus also wore expressions of bewilderment.
"That's… Blue Pegasus's magic bombardment ship, the Christina. What's it doing hovering above us?" Wendy asked, her voice laced with confusion as she gazed up at the massive vessel.
"Look! Those cannons are aimed at us!" Carla suddenly shouted, pointing towards the cannons of the Christina.
At that very moment, the cannons of the Christina were indeed aimed directly at Finn, Wendy, and Carla, and countless magical particles were already beginning to accumulate within their barrels.
"Damn it!" Finn's expression immediately shifted, his face falling as he seemed to grasp the situation. Without a moment's hesitation, he swiftly scooped up Wendy and Carla, pulling them both to safety just as a devastating explosion rocked the clearing.
The shockwave from the ensuing explosion immediately sent Finn, Wendy, and Carla sprawling to the ground.
The Christina's magical bombardment had landed almost precisely at the spot where the trio had been standing just moments before.
A deafening roar and a towering plume of fire instantly engulfed the area, pulverizing boulders, shattering trees, and obliterating everything in its path.
The commotion, of course, did not go unnoticed by Natsu and his group, who were positioned a short distance away.
Erza, her gaze fixed on the location of the Christina's attack, felt a deep sense of foreboding wash over her.
"Are there enemies over there? Why would they attack that area?" Erza asked the three members of Blue Pegasus, her voice laced with suspicion.
The three members of Blue Pegasus exchanged bewildered glances, clearly just as perplexed as Erza.
"We have no idea. We haven't been able to contact Ichiya-sensei, so we're completely in the dark about what's going on over there," Hibiki replied helplessly, shrugging his shoulders.
Seeing that they were unable to obtain any further information at this moment, Erza nodded silently, accepting that they would have to wait and see what transpired. After all, their immediate focus needed to be on the enemies who were now directly before them.
Upon seeing the figures standing before them, their bodies radiating an aura of immense magical power, Lucy gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. "Those are… Oración Seis!" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
At the forefront of the group stood Brain, the leader of Oración Seis, his hand resting upon the head of a skull-shaped cane. His hair was gray, and distinctive black stripes ran from his face down the length of his body.
Having studied the files on Oración Seis, everyone present immediately recognized the man's identity.
Standing beside Brain was Midnight, whose identity remained shrouded in mystery, silently slumbering upon a floating carpet adorned with numerous jingling bells.
The remaining members of Oración Seis—Racer, sporting his signature sunglasses; Hoteye, clutching a book close to his chest; and Angel, the only female member of the group—stood poised beside Brain and Midnight.
"A bunch of trash, daring to gather together," Brain sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
Angel let out a light, amused chuckle. "I've seen right through your plans, you know."
"Jura and Ichiya are already taken care of," the two tiny figures that had previously emerged from Ichiya announced in perfect unison.
"What?!" Hibiki exclaimed, his voice laced with disbelief.
"Impossible!" Lyon also reacted with disbelief, utterly unable to accept the fact that Jura had been so easily defeated.
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