Chapter 62: FTRJ: Chapter 62

In the distance, the sky was a maelstrom of lightning and thunder. The gale-force winds generated by the clashing magical energies reached their location, causing Porlyusica’s pink hair to whip wildly.

“The trees, the earth, even the very air itself trembles in fear,” Porlyusica murmured, her head bowed, lost in thought. Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence.

The newcomer quickly arrived before Porlyusica, producing an apple. “May I have this?” he asked, though the question was more of a formality as he immediately began to eat it.

“Mystogan? So that’s how it was. I was wondering why Makarov recovered so quickly. You must have gathered all of his scattered magical energy back, right?” Porlyusica suppressed her reaction to Mystogan’s rather abrupt behavior.

Mystogan, looking at the half-eaten apple in his hand, stated, “The war is drawing to a close. The flames of fury will soon consume everything in this world.”

Porlyusica sighed. “While I’d rather not say this, to avoid encouraging further conflict, you are, after all, a member of Fairy Tail. Please leave this place immediately, and then you can decide for yourself whether or not you wish to participate in this war.”

A sudden gust of wind swept through, scattering numerous tattered flags across the ground. They were of various colors, but all bore the same symbol: the insignia of Phantom Lord.

“Could it be… that he went and single-handedly annihilated all of Phantom Lord’s branches?”

“You don’t intend to leave all this trash lying here, do you?” Porlyusica asked Mystogan, her gaze fixed on him.

Mystogan produced another apple. “I believe I’ll have another.”

“I truly cannot tolerate people like you,” Porlyusica said, her eyes fixed on the scene of devastation unfolding in the distance. “Possessing such immense power, yet you only create sorrow, then use anger as a means to forget the painful reality of your actions.”

“But for us,” she continued, her tone softening slightly, “protecting our families is all that matters. That is all that matters.”

…

Ryūjin Jakka materialized in Finn’s hand. He continued, “Regardless of your justifications, daring to wage war against Fairy Tail means you must be prepared to die.”

“Ha? I’m the kingdom’s foremost guild master! Do you really think you have the capacity to kill me? That’s laughable!” Jose erupted into a fit of maniacal laughter.

Finn drew Ryūjin Jakka, whispering the incantation, “Reduce All Creation to Ash—Ryūjin Jakka!!”

An instantaneous explosion of flames erupted from Finn’s body, an endless torrent of fire that shot skyward, incinerating everything in its path. In that moment, red seemed to be the only color in the world.

Jose watched in utter horror as everything around him vanished—or rather, was consumed by the flames. Even with his magical protection, the intense heat was unbearable.

His Saint Ten robes, symbols of his prestigious rank, couldn’t withstand the extreme temperatures and burst into flames.

The fire… blazed with incandescent fury!!

“What in the world…?!” From a distance, Lucy watched in utter disbelief as a colossal pillar of fire erupted from the Magic Giant.

The sheer scale of the inferno was breathtaking, completely engulfing the Magic Giant. The extreme heat caused the surrounding seawater to boil, and the sky, which had been darkened by the clash of magical energies,

was now completely devoid of clouds.

There was only red, an endless expanse of red as far as the eye could see.

Even the Phantom Lord airships in the sky were steadily disappearing under the relentless assault of the intense heat.

With this, all the other Fairy Tail members’ battles concluded, leaving only Finn, radiating like a second sun.

“That’s Finn,” Happy said, raising his paw to answer Lucy’s question.

“So that’s why Finn told everyone to leave,” Lucy mused, recalling Finn’s earlier words. She hadn’t understood at the time why he’d ordered the retreat; it seemed counterintuitive to leave behind potential strength.

But now Lucy understood. This wasn’t about adding strength; it was about preserving lives.

“That’s incredible; Finn’s power has grown even stronger,” Gray remarked, the intense heat proving unbearable, causing him to remove his clothes—though perhaps there were other reasons as well.

“When will I ever achieve such mastery over flames…?” Natsu said, his face filled with longing.

“You? You’ve still got at least a hundred years to go,” Gray, Natsu’s longtime rival, immediately retorted.

Juvia, trailing behind Gray, was drenched in sweat, truly as if it were raining from her body. “Juvia… Juvia feels so awful… it’s like… she’s about to be completely evaporated,” Juvia’s voice trembled.

The temperature continued to rise relentlessly, even igniting the dilapidated Fairy Tail guild hall.

“Hey… Finn isn’t going to destroy this place too, is he?” Elfman exclaimed, his mouth agape as he pointed towards the guild hall.

Mirajane shook her head. “If this battle can’t be resolved instantly, the collateral damage will be far more extensive than just this area.”

“It would be a catastrophe for all of Magnolia,” Erza stated, arms crossed.

“Is it really that terrible?” Bisca asked, her voice laced with apprehension.

“It could be even worse,” Mirajane replied gravely.

“Jose!! Have you considered how you’re going to die?” Finn’s voice, booming from within the heart of the inferno, resonated like that of a fire god about to pass judgment on a condemned soul.

“You little brat!!” Jose roared back, his Saint Ten magic erupting in a furious display of power, adding a touch of black to the otherwise crimson world.

“Dead Wave~~” Jose’s hands gathered a massive surge of dark energy.

“Die!!” Jose unleashed a torrent of darkness at Finn, dissipating the flames around him.

“Ryūjin Jakka: Taimatsu,” Finn called out from within the flames, his blade flashing as he moved. The surrounding flames seemed to be guided by his movements, flowing along the path of his blade.

In an instant, the flames collided with the darkness.

A colossal shockwave erupted from the point of impact, radiating outwards in a circular pattern across the boiling sea, creating waves that towered over a hundred meters high.

“Waaaaahhhh~~ Everyone, get out of the way!!” Most of the Fairy Tail members were positioned along the coast, and at the sight of the towering waves, they were instantly struck with terror and fled towards the rear.

“Hey, Gray, why don’t you freeze the sea? Then we wouldn’t have to run,” Lucy called out as she ran.

“Do you think I wouldn’t want to? The temperature’s so high around here, I can’t even begin to conjure ice,” Gray’s voice drifted back from the front.

“Just how terrifying is he…?!” Lucy muttered, clutching her head in despair.

At the point of collision between the flames and the darkness, the flames continued to spread, engulfing and consuming the darkness, which began to weaken considerably.

Jose’s eyes widened in disbelief. “My magic… it’s burning?”

The realization struck Jose with the force of a thunderbolt, and he panicked.

Finally, the darkness was completely consumed by the flames, and Finn emerged before Jose, the two of them separated by no more than a meter.

“I’m doomed!!” Jose’s face was contorted with terror as he stared at Finn, engulfed in flames, and at his emotionless eyes.

Immediately following this, Ryūjin Jakka was raised high above Finn’s head.

With a single, swift downward strike, the blade descended. Jose desperately poured his remaining magical energy into creating a dark barrier.

“Crack~~” Fractures instantly appeared on the surface of the barrier, followed by its complete shattering—it didn’t even last a single second.

The flaming blade sliced through Jose’s body, yet no blood flowed; only a deep wound that revealed bone, and the surrounding flesh, charred black by the intense heat, were visible.

“Damn it~~” Jose roared in frustration and despair. Consumed by a frenzy of rage, Jose ignored the searing pain in his chest and grabbed Finn’s right hand, the one holding the sword.

His eyes were filled with a terrifying intensity as he glared at Finn. “Die! Die!!”

“Shade Entangle”

From the palm of Jose’s hand, a repulsive wave of dark magic materialized into a skeletal demon. This was unlike the magical specters he’d summoned earlier; the terrifying magical energy emanating from above far surpassed anything seen before.

The skeletal demon roared, its vaguely discernible features hideously contorted; its gaping maw was poised to completely devour Finn.

“Raaaagh!!!”

Jose unleashed a furious roar as the skeletal demon lunged towards Finn’s head, which was less than a meter away.

Finn, using his remaining hand, seized the skull, preventing it from advancing even an inch.

Both figures strained with all their might; Jose gritted his teeth, relentlessly pouring more magical energy into his attack, attempting to break through Finn’s resistance, but to absolutely no avail.

In fact, faint cracks could be seen appearing around Finn’s fingers, spreading across the surface of the skull demon’s head as he continued to exert pressure.

The flames in Finn’s hand intensified, causing the cracks on the skull demon’s head to expand rapidly, while Finn’s grip tightened, his fingers sinking into the skull’s bone. It was as if he were about to tear the skull demon’s head clean off with his bare hands.

“How… how is this possible…?” The cracks had spread across the entire skeletal demon’s body.

Finn’s forehead bulged with strained muscles; he squeezed his hand even harder.

“BOOM————” Finn’s grip tightened, and Jose’s magic was crushed by Finn’s bare hands.

The rampaging magical energy exploded in a tremendous blast, sending out a shockwave that spread relentlessly, generating an even more violent tsunami.

“Waaaaahhhh… here we go again!!” Lucy cried out in despair, once again taking to her heels. Although the Fairy Tail members had already moved away from the guild hall, they were now forced to flee even further back.

“Whoa… whoa, is this even real?” Gajeel, limping along, reached a relatively tall building. Looking at the scene of utter devastation, he silently gave thanks that he’d managed to survive an encounter with such a monstrous opponent.

As the explosion subsided, the Magic Giant that had once stood there was no longer recognizable as such; its entire upper half had vanished, and countless fragments of the shattered colossus were drifting on the surface of the sea.

Jose pushed aside the heavy debris that had fallen upon him and struggled to his feet. Jose was utterly disheveled, his hair a tangled mess, his face devoid of the composure and self-assurance he’d displayed earlier.

Only sheer terror remained etched upon his features.

“How… how is this possible?! Monster… monster!” This was, without a doubt, the umpteenth time Jose had uttered these words today, but there was no mistaking the utter despair that now consumed him; his most powerful magic had been completely overwhelmed by Finn’s flames.

And his final desperate counterattack had been crushed with a bare hand?

Jose couldn’t even begin to imagine how he could possibly win this battle.

Ignoring Jose’s pleas, Finn silently assessed his own remaining magical energy, then slowly raised his sword, his gaze fixed intently on Jose. “I told you to prepare for death; I wasn’t joking.”

“You… you intend to kill me? I am a Saint Ten, officially recognized by the Council! Do you understand the ramifications of killing me?” The fear in Jose’s voice was palpable.

“This war was my fault; I apologize. How about that?” Jose attempted a desperate plea for peace.

Finn let out a derisive scoff. “The Master always taught us to show mercy; if he were here, he might spare your life.”

“A chance!” Jose thought to himself, a sly smile playing on his lips. As long as he survived this encounter, who could say what the future held?

With that, Jose, his face streaked with blood, attempted a conciliatory smile. “In truth, I greatly admire Makarov’s approach to leadership. If you Fairy Tail members would be so kind as to let me go this once, I would be eternally grateful.” He bowed deeply, despite the excruciating pain.

“However…” Finn’s voice turned icily cold, cutting through the air like a blade. “I am not the Master. You die here today.”

“You’re toying with me?!” Jose stared at Finn in disbelief, his eyes blazing with uncontainable rage that could be felt even from a hundred meters away.

“If that’s the case, then let’s all die together!!” Jose roared, his magical energy swelling to an unprecedented level as he burned his life force, a desperate gamble to temporarily enhance his power. However, the price was steep; once his life force was exhausted, everything would vanish.

Finn let out a low chuckle. “Heh, you don’t have that chance.”

While Finn and Jose had been engaged in their tense exchange, Jose had completely failed to notice a crack appearing on the seabed, slowly but relentlessly spreading outwards. And within that crack, a crimson glow pulsed with ominous energy.

“Finn!! Join me in hell!” Jose’s furious roar echoed across the battlefield as he charged forward.

“Hado No. 96: Ittō Kasō!!”

In an instant, a colossal, blade-shaped crimson flame erupted from the depths of the ocean, its searing heat obliterating everything in its path, reducing it to nothingness, dissipating into the very fabric of the world.

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