Chapter 826
Alex's eyes lit up, while Chris's expression darkened considerably.
"So you've still made the foolish choice," Chris said coldly. "Why? Just for someone like Alex, you're willing to go this far? Couldn't Alex have joined my side instead? Or is it that you're just determined to oppose us?
In that case—then die."
Ron turned to Alex.
"A proper introduction—I'm Ron Zoldyc. Let's end this quickly."
Alex nodded. "Alright."
The battle began in the next moment.
Ron charged straight at Chris.
"Why?" Chris growled, eyes locked onto him.
But Ron didn't answer.
A second figure appeared at Ron's side—it was Wither. Another form moved into position at the rear of the group—it was Miku Izayoi.
"March."
Her elegant voice echoed across the battlefield.
Everyone on Alex's side felt an immediate surge in their aura. Even Alex himself was affected.
Wither lunged at Chris, her movements agile as a cat—quick, sharp, and unrelenting. In a blink, she was in front of him.
Chris snickered and threw a punch. As it extended, his arm transformed into molten magma.
"Die!"
But Wither didn't dodge. She went in head-on.
Boom!
Their fists collided.
"First Bomb."
The energy of the First Bomb transferred into Chris's arm. An invisible explosion triggered at the point of contact. Chris's pupils contracted—he pulled his arm back just in time, but it was already too late.
He had no choice but to sever his own limb.
The dismembered arm hit the ground and detonated.
Boom!
It was completely obliterated—reduced to nothing.
Chris's face twisted with rage and pain.
From a distance, Ron observed calmly.
"So, a magma-type ability... Kind of similar to Akainu from the One Piece world. Probably capable of elementization as well. And if that's the case, then to some extent, it can counter Wither's First Bomb."
Chris came to the same realization.
"I am magma itself."
In the next moment, his entire form shifted—his body turned completely molten, becoming a being of pure magma.
Blobs of magma surged toward Wither. But these weren't connected to Chris's physical body, so even if she used First Bomb on them, it wouldn't harm him. She had no choice but to evade.
But Ron had a Nen beast perfect for this situation.
"Natsu."
Natsu appeared instantly.
As the magma surged toward him, he didn't dodge—instead, he let it strike him directly.
Even the extreme heat couldn't harm him.
He even opened his mouth and casually scooped up a chunk of molten lava—then swallowed it whole.
"The more he eats, the stronger he gets."
Chris stiffened.
"The Fiora system?"
Ron's gaze remained indifferent.
In terms of classification, Chris was certainly ranked higher than Natsu. An S-Class vs. an A-Class wasn't even close—the gap was massive. Even if Natsu's ability directly countered Chris's, he shouldn't have been able to overcome that difference.
But there was a condition—if Chris and Natsu were both within the bounds of their respective ranks.
And they weren't.
Natsu was already at the peak of A-Class, barely a step away from breaking through to S-Class.
Chris, on the other hand, wasn't a true S-Class. He had only forced his way into that tier using the power of the Grand Martial Trail. Compared to a true S-Class like Ron, he was still far behind.
So the gap between Chris and Natsu wasn't insurmountable.
And Wither was still at his side.
"If Chris has no hidden trump cards left… then this fight is already over."
Chris's expression changed.
"You can't ignore me forever!"
More magma gushed from his body. It was no longer just flowing in blobs—it had become a river, engulfing Natsu completely.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
At that moment, Natsu released a torrent of flames from his mouth.
Ron took a step back.
The scene before him reminded him of something: the battle between Akainu and Ace in the One Piece world. One wielded the Magma-Magma Fruit. The other, the Flame-Flame Fruit. Akainu had overpowered Ace—his magma was considered a superior form of fire.
Chris was like Akainu. Higher rank. Greater elemental dominance.
But unlike that battle, the advantage here didn't belong to the magma user.
Chris's ability didn't counter Natsu's.
It was the other way around—Natsu's ability directly countered Chris's.
And he wasn't fighting alone. Wither was still moving in tandem.
Ron raised a finger, and a large surge of aura gathered at the tip.
"Nen Bullet."
A powerful burst of pressure erupted from his fingertip.
Boom!
A beam of light shot straight toward Chris.
Chris's face darkened. He shaped magma into a shield and raised it to block the blast.
At that exact moment, Wither appeared behind him.
"Sheer Heart Attack ."
She launched a bomb straight at Chris's exposed back.
The bomb was drawn toward heat—and there was no greater heat source present than Chris.
Boom!
The explosion sent Chris flying. Even his elementized form was disrupted.
Natsu swallowed another clump of magma.
"Magma Dragon Mode."
His entire body transformed—streams of molten rock covered his limbs, and his internal temperature surged.
"Magma Dragon's Roar!"
Flame and magma surged outward in a furious wave, slamming into Chris.
Even in magma form, Chris couldn't withstand it. The damage was immense.
Then Ron pulled something out.
A water hose—its intake tube connected directly to the lake inside Sumas's space. Ever since absorbing the ark, the space had grown significantly larger. The lake's size had increased as well.
As the water struck Chris's body, it evaporated instantly.
But even that evaporation drained away immense amounts of heat.
And for Chris, heat was energy—it was his aura.
Without it, he couldn't maintain his elementized state.
Natsu charged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Chris.
Then Wither stepped in.
She pressed a hand against Chris's chest.
"First Bomb."
Wither leapt away.
The bomb exploded.
Chris's chest was blown open—flesh, bone, and even his heart were utterly destroyed.
And without a heart, not even an S-Class Nen user could survive.
Chris was dead.