The Sandman exuded powerful magical fluctuations, causing the Stone Monkey to be momentarily stunned.
After the Stone Monkey reacted, it charged forward again.
The Stone Monkey's fist struck the Sandman, and the sand on the Sandman's body scattered across the ground, but quickly reformed.
The Sandman's fist retaliated, not to be outdone, striking the Stone Monkey and making it retreat repeatedly.
The Stone Monkey roared, and many sharp rock spikes suddenly grew from its body, stabbing towards the Sandman.
The Sandman was unable to dodge in time and was pierced by several rock spikes.
Marcus, in his Sandman form, waved his hands forcefully, "Sandstorm!"
A powerful sandstorm appeared again, swirling madly around the Sandman and the Stone Monkey.
The Stone Monkey struggled to resist in the sandstorm, its body already covered in wounds.
A wild roar sounded again, and the Stone Monkey used Earth Magic, creating a thick earth wall around itself to fend off the sandstorm's assault.
Neither side gave an inch, the sandstorm and the earth wall vying for dominance, and the entire battlefield was in chaos.
Marcus knew this couldn't go on, and he suddenly thought of a risky plan.
He controlled the Sandman and rushed towards the Stone Monkey.
The Stone Monkey thought he was going to continue attacking and prepared to meet the enemy.
But just as the two were about to make contact, the Sandman suddenly disintegrated and exploded, turning into countless grains of sand that poured into the Stone Monkey's mouth and nose.
The Stone Monkey was caught off guard, choked by the sand, and its magic immediately became chaotic.
After the Sandman exploded, Marcus's figure actually emerged from the yellow sand behind the Stone Monkey!
It turned out that the Sandman was formed by Marcus's Sand Clone!
Marcus seized the opportunity to form hand seals, "Sand Seal!"
The sand that had poured into the Stone Monkey's body instantly solidified, restricting the Stone Monkey's magic flow.
The Stone Monkey struggled painfully but could not break free from the seal.
"Now!" Marcus roared, gathering his last bit of magic, "Sand Judgment!"
A massive pillar of sand descended from the sky, striking directly at the Stone Monkey.
"Boom!"
The Stone Monkey was hit by the sand pillar and fell to the ground, its rock shield completely shattered, and its aura became weak.
Marcus also collapsed to the ground, his magic exhausted.
He gasped for breath, looking at the fallen Stone Monkey, his heart filled with joy.
"It's finally over..."
"An A-Ranked Magical Beast isn't that strong after all. When I go back this time, I should be able to become an A-Class Mage, right?" Marcus grinned.
The image of everyone in the guild congratulating him on becoming an A-Class Mage flashed through his mind.
However, just as he thought the battle was over, the Stone Monkey's body suddenly trembled slightly.
The rocky skin on its surface slowly cracked, revealing the Gray monkey fur beneath.
The Stone Monkey swayed and stood up again.
"What?!"
"That layer of skin, was it something similar to Sand Armor?"
Marcus's eyes widened, and a wave of despair surged in his heart.
The Stone Monkey slowly stood up, its eyes filled with hatred and killing intent.
Marcus struggled to get up, his hands trembling as he tried to form hand seals again to cast magic.
The Stone Monkey roared and attacked again.
It waved its hands, and countless giant rocks fell from the sky, smashing towards Marcus.
Marcus's hands trembled uncontrollably. He had no magic left and couldn't even use Sand Substitute. He could only watch helplessly as the rocks approached.
"I hope the Sand Armor can withstand it..."
Amidst violent impacts, Marcus was hit by several rock chunks, the ground trembled, and his body made cracking sounds.
That was the Sand Armor shattering.
Marcus was bleeding all over, most of his internal bones were broken, and the shattered Sand Armor, stained with blood, fell to the ground in pieces.
He had no ability to resist. After that wave of rock impacts, Marcus's arms and legs were already broken.
The Stone Monkey walked towards Marcus with heavy steps, one step at a time.
Each step made the ground tremble slightly, as if announcing Marcus's fate.
Broken ribs pierced his internal organs, and Marcus spewed blood from his mouth and nose, unable to speak any words.
His thighs, calves, forearms, upper arms, and shoulders were all shattered. Many bone fragments even protruded from his body.
Blood-stained bones with broken white splinters pierced through his skin, flesh torn open, and bright red blood flowed, staining the grass.
"Am I going to fall here...?"
Marcus looked at the approaching Stone Monkey, his heart filled with helplessness and unwillingness.
Marcus was not a novice. He knew that with his injuries, even if the Stone Monkey didn't continue its attack, he likely wouldn't survive.
70% of his body's bones were shattered, he had numerous open wounds with extreme blood loss, and his internal organs were also injured by bone fragments.
With such injuries, even if Grandma Porlyusica were by his side, she would be powerless to save him.
The Stone Monkey walked up to Marcus, raised its large foot, and kicked him away forcefully.
Marcus spewed another large mouthful of blood, his entire body tracing a parabola before falling heavily into the lake.
The cold lake water slightly alleviated Marcus's intense pain all over his body, and he slowly sank.
The surrounding lake water was stained red, and many fish in the lake hovered at a certain distance around him, seemingly waiting for Marcus to completely lose his life before swarming to devour his corpse.
In Marcus's pocket, the tracking card Cana had given him sensed its owner's magic aura weakening, immediately glowing and emitting a distress signal.
Marcus, sinking powerlessly, caught a glimpse of the card's light in his pocket.
"Erza..."
"Cana..."
"I might... have to stop here..."
"I'm really sorry, Erza. I said I was coming to help you this time, but..."
"I seem to be too weak..."
"I couldn't help you at all, and I lost my life..."
"A guy like me, I'm really bringing shame to Fairy Tail..."
His eyes gradually blurred, and his consciousness began to waver.
"Master, please take care of yourself..."
"Natsu, Gray, if possible, fight a little less..."
"Sister Mira, Elfman, please cheer up..."
"Laki..."
"Erza..."
"Joining Fairy Tail was the best decision I ever made in my life..."
"Thank you all for taking care of me all this time..."