章 181: Chapter 181: Prisoner? No, NPC +1!
Kain Hikaru had been using the Magic Net to set up an "online matchmaking service"...
Nate genuinely had no idea about this, as he usually left forum monitoring to Ur. But from what Kain was saying, Nate realized one crucial detail: Kain's "Ushi no Koku Mairi" magic could even affect people remotely—reaching them through the internet. Lost magic really was something else.
At that moment, Kain Hikaru pulled a strand of his own hair and placed it on his second cursed doll, shouting:
"Light Doll!"
In an instant, Doll #2 emitted a brilliant, golden light.
"His magic attribute just changed," Mirajane observed immediately.
Kain Hikaru raised his hand, unleashing a beam of light magic—a laser blast—straight at Nate.
Mirajane darted in front of Nate, blocking the attack with her hand.
'Boom!'
Flames and smoke erupted, but in the next moment, the Black-Winged Demon emerged from the blast and charged at her target, her right hand surrounded by the Reversal Magic of Ice and Fire.
She threw a punch straight at Kain Hikaru's head.
"Iron Doll!"
Once again, Kain Hikaru altered the material of his doll. His skin shifted from pale white to a metallic silver-black, and he countered with a heated punch.
In an instant, their fists collided—like a burning sun smashing into a sphere of blazing ice.
'Boom!'
The impact shattered the ground around them, and the scorching air surged toward Nate.
'How many attributes can this guy use?' Mirajane wondered in surprise as she backed off, hovering to observe him from above. The incident with her feather being used against her had raised her alertness to its peak.
Realizing that close-range combat wasn't ideal, Mirajane decided on another tactic. She raised her hand, forming a spear of dark green magic in her palm.
"Luz de la Luna!"
In her demonic form, Mirajane's demeanor was far from her usual gentle self. She was all out:
"The Kin of Purgatory may be strong, but I'm sorry—I must defeat you here!"
With that, she hurled the spear of magic power at Kain.
Nate teleported out of the way immediately.
Kain Hikaru, however, didn't panic. Recognizing the power packed into Mira's attack, he quickly reacted.
"Mist Doll!"
His body transformed into a misty form, translucent and drifting, as he tried to evade.
With a sharp whoosh, Luz de la Luna struck the ground and burrowed deep, followed by a massive underground explosion. The blast tore the ground apart, engulfing hundreds of meters in all directions.
When Kain Hikaru turned back, his eyes widened in shock as he was swallowed by the blinding light. The entire grove on the southern outskirts was obliterated by the force of the strike.
Hovering above, Mirajane's piercing gaze surveyed the aftermath. Her magic ring flashed—no doubt others were asking about what had happened. Ignoring it, she focused on locating Kain Hikaru's presence.
The landscape was scarred and cratered, but there was no sign of her target.
"He dodged that? How did he manage it?" Mirajane wondered, puzzled.
Suddenly, she sensed a faint magic pulse coming from a mound of dirt. She quickly looked over, spotting a figure half-buried under the earth. But it wasn't Kain Hikaru.
A flash of gold appeared beside Mirajane, and Nate emerged, slowly descending toward the mound.
The man partially buried in the earth wore the insignia of Grimoire Heart, confirming he was one of their mages.
"Did he get away?"
"He must have used a decoy-type magic just before your attack hit," Nate replied with a smile. "I marked him with my Flying Thunder God symbol, though. You stay here; I'll go after him."
For most, he wouldn't bother chasing them. But Kain Hikaru's magic was far too valuable to pass up.
With that, Nate vanished in an instant.
Mirajane looked around at the devastation, canceling her transformation. "…Looks like I went a bit overboard. Master will probably have to write another apology."
Right—she'd better ask Ultear to help restore this place. Thinking this, she opened her Magic Net.
…
Meanwhile, about ten kilometers from the grove, by the river.
A small group of Grimoire Heart mages had gathered, looking at each other in confusion.
Just a moment ago, one of their members had disappeared, and now a bizarre, underdressed man had suddenly appeared in his place.
Upon closer inspection…
Oh, it was Kain Hikaru!
"Kain-sama!" one of them called cautiously.
"That Mirajane… she almost killed me!" Kain Hikaru muttered, scratching his now rock-hard hair.
"What happened to you, Kain-sama?"
"Was it time for the attack yet? We were supposed to be waiting here."
The Grimoire Heart mages murmured in confusion, each adding their own remarks. Kain glared at them, then looked down at Doll #2, which now had two strands of hair embedded in it—one his own, and the other… who knows?
"Luckily, I was prepared and used decoy magic to escape. Otherwise, that last attack would've really hurt."
Kain Hikaru muttered quietly to himself, growing angrier as he spoke.
"Damn Mirajane—she's not only beautiful but so powerful too! The gods above are so unfair! If I knew which god controls human beauty, I'd snatch a hair from them and curse them properly!"
One of his subordinates interrupted, "Kain-sama? You haven't forgotten our mission, right?"
"We're not here to enjoy the Harvest Festival; we're supposed to retrieve Ultear-sama and Meredy-sama!"
The subordinates exchanged dark looks. Having such an unreliable superior was a nightmare. They couldn't afford to mess up this mission—Master Hades would be furious.
Still, if they could stir up trouble with Fairy Tail while they were here, that wouldn't hurt.
"Ultear and Meredy... they're no longer part of the Seven Kin of Purgatory," Kain Hikaru corrected. "No need for formal titles."
Just as he finished speaking, a flash of golden light appeared behind him.
In a swift, silent move, Nate materialized and drove his blade, Kyōka Suigetsu, straight through Kain's chest.
"Hello there, Grimoire Heart mages," Nate greeted with a smile, pulling out his now-bloodied blade.
The team stared in horror, unable to speak.
With a thud, Kain Hikaru dropped to his knees, the ground trembling as his weight struck the earth. Clutching his chest, he gasped and spat blood.
"Nate...! How did you catch up to me?"
Nate smirked, "Just 'zoomed' over in an instant."
He wiped the blood off his blade casually. "Don't worry—I'm not sending you to the underworld. You're headed for my 'Soul Cage.'"
'Prisoner count +1?'
No, 'valuable employee' +1! √
週次パワーステータス
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