More and more people were being forced out of the fight.
Though Ansa was also battered, he still looked capable of enduring another round.
As expected of a natural demon—his magic seemed inexhaustible!
"Three minutes left," Jehfrit muttered under his breath. He couldn't hold back any longer.
By now, only a few Dragon Slayers remained standing.
Master Makarov, despite being the strongest attacker, was elderly and couldn't sustain such high-intensity combat for long.
Gildarts was still recovering from severe injuries.
Gray and Erza had already fought several grueling battles and were no longer able to continue.
Ed-Jehfrit was gravely injured as well.
From Edolas' side, including Mystogan, everyone had been incapacitated. Continuing the fight would mean risking lives!
Even Natsu and the others were nearly depleted of both stamina and magic. Even Dragon Slayers couldn't endure this level of sustained attrition.
Jehfrit slowly drew his katana, Hani.
In his left hand, Teal; in his right, Hani.
Miko stood behind him.
"You're finally stepping in," Laxus panted.
No one had questioned why Jehfrit hadn't joined the fray earlier.
After all, his primary role had been casting spells on Ansa and tending to the wounded.
Stationed at the rear, his support abilities were unmatched. Despite the intense battle, he had managed to keep every single person alive!
But now, the tactician was stepping onto the battlefield, signaling that their side was truly at a breaking point.
Jehfrit wasn't reckless.
"Scale Angel," he said.
White scales covered his body.
His magic surged to its full potential!
Ansa hadn't noticed him yet.
Meanwhile, Natsu and the others launched relentless attacks to cover Jehfrit's advance.
Closer and closer.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Jehfrit maintained the same pace of attack, using deception to mislead Ansa while hiding within those deceptions himself.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
At this range, closing the distance would take but an instant for both sides!
"Ahh!!!"
Natsu suddenly abandoned his magical assault and instead grabbed hold of Ansa.
On the other side, Gajeel immediately understood his intention and joined in, wrapping his arms around Ansa as well!
Wendy used all her strength to clutch Ansa's legs!
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art—"
Laxus roared, dragging golden lightning behind him.
"Roar of the Lightning Dragon!"
Realizing he couldn't break free quickly, Ansa simply charged forward with his head.
*BOOM*
He rammed into Laxus, sending him flying.
Slash!
Jehfrit swung his blade at Ansa's neck!
*CLANG*
For the first time, Hani failed to cut through cleanly.
The blade lodged deeply into Ansa's cervical vertebrae—but he wasn't dead yet!
Ansa tilted his head back, trapping Hani between his bones!
Only then did he have time to throw everyone off.
"Jehfrit!"
The group cried out in alarm.
One of Ansa's arms morphed into a sword, which he thrust toward Jehfrit's chest!
*CLANG*
The blade didn't pierce Jehfrit's torso.
Miko smirked. "Like I'd let you get hurt so easily!"
She winced as she rubbed her chest, tears threatening to spill. In Scale Angel form, she shared Jehfrit's defenses, taking the brunt of the damage—painful, but not enough to break through their combined defense!
Jehfrit had no choice but to abandon Hani and fired a shot at close range.
Ansa dodged by tilting his head, and several of his hands simultaneously grabbed Jehfrit's limbs, ready to tear him apart!
This was going to be messy!
*BOOM*
Laxus charged in, smashing his fist down on the hilt of Hani!
Ansa's body lurched forward, forcing him to release Jehfrit.
Hani was still lodged in his neck—a clear weak point!
Jehfrit leapt backward.
"Iron Dragon Sword!" Gajeel transformed his arm into a chainsaw-like blade and slashed at Ansa's neck.
Ansa, wary of exposing his weakness again, quickly turned to counter.
"Ahh—"
Natsu lunged forward, landing on Ansa's back and stomping hard on either side of the blade!
It sank in slightly further!
Ansa's body pitched forward, but with lightning-fast reflexes, he adjusted his balance and grabbed Gajeel, yanking him violently!
*SPLURT*
Gajeel stared at his stomach.
He'd been impaled!
"Heaven Dragon's Roar!"
Wendy unleashed her roar—not damaging, but it obscured Ansa's vision.
Laxus seized the opportunity to strike Ansa's arm, forcing him to release Gajeel.
Gajeel staggered backward, collapsing against the wall and sliding to the ground.
Clutching his stomach, his face went pale.
"Gajeel!" Levy shouted anxiously.
"I'm fine… Jehfrit deceived Ansa, avoiding vital points…" Gajeel was no longer combat-ready.
Another casualty.
"Two minutes and forty seconds," Jehfrit announced.
Despair crept into the group.
How could they possibly hold out?!
But despair wasn't something Jehfrit or the fighters should dwell on!
Ansa turned clumsily, grabbing Natsu by the leg and slamming him into the ground!
*BOOM*
The earth shook, and Natsu spat out blood, rolling his eyes back as he collapsed unconscious.
"Lightning Dragon's Crushing Fist!"
Laxus threw a punch, but Ansa caught it effortlessly.
Simultaneously, Jehfrit aimed his gun at Ansa's wound and fired!
*BOOM*
Ansa was blasted backward.
Jehfrit grabbed Natsu and hurled him away. Lucy scrambled to her feet and ran to catch him.
Looking at Natsu's battered, unconscious form in her arms, tears welled up in her eyes.
Natsu—out of the fight!
"Wendy, retreat," Jehfrit instructed.
"Yes…" Wendy's voice was hoarse. She knew she had no offensive capabilities left, her magic completely drained. At this point, even supporting others was impossible. Staying would only slow them down.
Wendy—exited the battle!
"Master!!!" Emily cried out. "You have to win!"
Jehfrit didn't respond directly. Instead, he asked, "Miko, can you handle two minutes of punishment?"
"No problem," Miko gritted her teeth. "If Jehfrit wants it, I'll make it happen!"
If only Miko could fight.
Many who knew of Miko's existence might think that at this moment.
But Jehfrit didn't entertain that thought.
Miko's strength might very well rival Ansa's.
But…
Miko hated fighting.
And he wouldn't force her to do what she despised!
Miko felt Jehfrit's unwavering resolve and wiped away her tears.
Doubt began creeping into her heart about her own principles.
Sensing her turmoil, Jehfrit reassured her. "Miko doesn't need to fight for me—it wasn't part of our agreement. As for whether you'll seek revenge if I die, I hope you will."
"But I won't die!"
Jehfrit declared firmly, "I trust you, Miko. You'll protect me—you won't let me die!"
Hearing Jehfrit's words, Miko steeled herself once more. Her body became translucent, and she embraced him from behind, merging with him without hindering his movements.
Her lips brushed against his ear. "Jehfrit, I'll protect you with my life!"
Jehfrit grinned.
"Damn it!"
Rarely swearing, Jehfrit caught Laxus's attention.
"Watch closely!" he said.
"The beauty of Deception Magic!"
"A grand magic show—"
"Has begun!"
*Hummm*
Jehfrit's magic erupted in an entirely new form.
Truly overwhelming!
This was the first time he revealed the vastness of his magic power!
Reality and illusion intertwined seamlessly!
For the first time, he openly displayed his true magical reserves!
Everyone could sense it!
"This guy… is actually this strong?!" Erza's expression was one of shock.
"Is this his full strength? This sneaky bastard…" Gildarts muttered. The sheer magnitude of this magical burst surpassed even his own!
No wonder he specialized in Deception Magic—even the nature of his magic itself was a deception!
All to conceal this terrifying reservoir of magical energy!
You thought he relied solely on the quirks of Deception Magic? No, Jehfrit was now showing everyone—he possessed an unimaginable amount of raw magical power!
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh*
Countless cards flew out.
They hovered behind Jehfrit, spinning rapidly until they formed a golden ring!
With wings sprouting from his back and a two-meter-wide golden halo floating behind him, Jehfrit resembled a radiant angel!
"Jehfrit," Ansa raised his head.
*BOOM*
The ground suddenly sank beneath him. Ansa immediately dispelled the illusion, but Jehfrit was already close, throwing a punch!
It was real!
Ansa raised his hand to block.
No!
It was fake!
A fist struck Ansa, but to everyone's eyes, it emerged from the golden ring behind Jehfrit, made of red threads coated with his magic, tricking Ansa into misjudging!
*BOOM*
Jehfrit kicked Ansa, sending him flying.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM"
Laxus followed up with a flurry of strikes!
Ansa tried to stabilize himself and counterattack.
But a red thread pulled Laxus away.
Jehfrit charged in, muttering softly, "Tiffany, sorry, but lend me a bit more!"
"Destruction —"
"Forest Fire Fist!"
*BOOM*
A fiery red fist shot out from the golden ring, slamming Ansa heavily into the ground!
"Jehfrit, is this move called 'Destruction: Forest Fire Fist'?" Miko sobbed teasingly.
"…" Jehfrit was speechless.
*Rip*
The red-threaded fist tore apart. Though Tiffany's threads were resilient, they weren't indestructible under immense force.
Ansa spat out magic, blasting Jehfrit backward.
Laxus stepped in next.
But Ansa moved swiftly, delivering a spinning kick!
*BOOM*
Laxus was sent flying.
"Laxus-nii!" Lisanna rushed to catch him, only to be knocked back as well.
"Cough cough." Laxus coughed, turning to look at Lisanna. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Lisanna wiped the blood from her lips.
"Laxus!" Freed called out worriedly.
Laxus met the gazes of his comrades, attempting to rise but collapsing again.
Clutching his chest, he grimaced in pain.
"Laxus-san, don't move! Your ribs are broken—it could kill you!" Wendy warned urgently.
"…" Laxus fell silent.
Now, only Jehfrit remained.
"Two minutes," Jehfrit said.
He took a deep breath.
Unleashing his magic without restraint!
His Deception Magic had always been purely deceptive with no offensive capability.
But combined with Tiffany's magic—
It gained destructive power!
He unleashed his magic fully, allowing Ansa to sense it.
This was a combat method he'd never used before!
When Jehfrit fought against Phantom Lord's Master Jose, his use of aggressive magical fluctuations alerted the opponent, causing his sneak attacks to fail repeatedly due to Jose's quick reflexes.
Now, he allowed Ansa to sense his magic fully. His attacks hid within this vast expanse of magical energy—like ripples on water stirred by the wind, how could a fish discern whether it's wind or bait?
Ansa was bewildered.
Before, he could sense a single fluctuation of magic.
But now—
Half the royal city was saturated with Jehfrit's magic!
The attacking magic had miraculously concealed itself!
And that wasn't all!
*BOOM*
Master Makarov suddenly grew enormous and slammed his fist down on Ansa.
Ansa sensed Jehfrit's magic—it was real!
Wait!
Why was there another fluctuation of Jehfrit's magic behind him?
Was that real too?
And to the side!
And below!
And above!
Where wasn't there magic?!
What was real?
What was fake?!
*BOOM*
Ansa was driven brutally into the ground!
Lucy and the spectators watched in stunned silence.
In that instant—
Jehfrit tossed Teal upward, firing downward.
Red threads from Tiffany's magic extended from the golden ring, cloaked in his magical aura, attacking from below.
He spun around, delivering a fierce kick to Ansa's kidneys.
He even had time to manipulate a card behind Ansa—emitting light to mimic an attack.
Outsiders saw clearly, but from Ansa's perspective, he couldn't tell!
*BOOM BOOM BOOM*
Ansa was utterly confused.
Attacks came from all directions!
Some powerful, some weak.
He unleashed a wide-area attack, trying to escape this oppressive state.
But Miko clung tightly to Jehfrit, defenses fully active!
Not budging an inch!
"Even Acnologia and Zeref would find it difficult to kill me, so what are you, some minor nuisance?!" Miko cried out, tears streaming down her face.
Jehfrit: "..."
Though her words lacked intimidation, she delivered them spiritedly!
"Damn it, damn it!" Ansa was losing his composure.
"I am Ansa, divine among demons!"
"Jehfrit!"
"How dare you defy me!"
"Shut up, punching bag!" Jehfrit stretched his shoulders and thighs.
While external pain was transferred to Miko, the strain of his violent movements caused muscle soreness that couldn't be transferred.
"One and a half minutes."
Jehfrit felt like his lungs were about to explode.
He really needed to exercise more.
But he had to endure!
"Lightning Dragon's Crushing Fist!"
"Crimson Lotus Fire Dragon Fist!"
"Heaven Dragon Wing Attack!"
"Urano Metria!"
"Moon Style—Garuda Flame!"
"Rain of Light!"
Ansa was dumbfounded, overwhelmed by the barrage of magical attacks.
"At a time like this, shouldn't I recall my comrades and say something like, 'I'm not fighting alone'?" Jehfrit quipped.
Everyone: "..."
From Ansa's perspective, it seemed everyone was attacking him, though he could only sense Jehfrit's magical fluctuations.
From the group's perspective, Jehfrit was orchestrating attacks with cards, Tiffany's red threads, and Teal.
Deception and reality had merged seamlessly!
"One minute."
Jehfrit announced.
"ROAR—" Ansa let out an enraged bellow.