Chapter 99: Jehfrit: Taste the Iron Fist of Justice!

The ground quaked violently, making it nearly impossible to stay on one's feet. But what truly left everyone feeling powerless was the sight of their comrade turning into a stranger and charging off alone to face the enemy.

A massive city rose from the forest, its steel legs spreading out like great dragons in all directions.

"Jehfrit!" 

Natsu roared as he leapt down from the cliffside. He was going to save his friend!

"Let's go!" Erza shouted, and the rest of Fairy Tail followed without hesitation. Even Lucy, who had only recently joined the guild, felt no trace of fear—just determination etched across her face.

Though she hadn't been part of Fairy Tail for long, memories flooded her mind: 

- The first time that man gently smiled and extended his hand to her, saying, "Miss Lucy, please follow me." He led her through what turned out to be an illusionary battlefield. 

- When they fought against Eisenwald and danger struck, he stepped in to defeat their foes and sternly advised her, "On the battlefield, never let your guard down." Though, admittedly, he also captured some embarrassing moments of hers... 

- During Phantom Lord's assault to forcibly take her back under her father's orders, he encouraged her with words that resonated deeply: "When one person stands up, when they choose to be brave, that bravery spreads. And when everyone is brave together, it gives you the strength to go beyond who you were yesterday." In that battle, Jehfrit saved every single member of the guild multiple times—including her.

In Tower of Heaven... 

During The fight against the Knights.

"Jehfrit!" Lucy declared firmly. "This time, it's our turn to protect you!"

Seeing the members of Fairy Tail already rushing ahead, Jura spoke up. "The Oración Seis are formidable opponents. Even I lack confidence facing two of them at once. We must rescue Jehfrit immediately!"

Ren nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. Besides, we came here to defeat the Oración Seis."

With unanimous nods, the group hurried toward the Oración Seis' lair.

---

At the Oración Seis' hideout, confusion reigned supreme.

"Hahahaha—" Cobra burst into laughter, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Is this really the best you've got?"

"Tch," muttered the hunchbacked elder, shaking his head. "Never would I have imagined... This man, despite belonging to a Legal guild, harbors darkness within him far more than most!"

It was hard to fathom—those with pure hearts couldn't tolerate evil deeds, so righteous people struggled to survive in dark magic circles. Conversely, those driven by darkness often acted recklessly, which made fitting into a Legal guild nearly impossible.

And yet, after being hit by Nirvana, this guy seemed to improve instead of deteriorate! What kind of twisted logic was this?

"Human nature is indeed complex," sighed the old man, finally conceding defeat. But this wasn't over—not by a long shot.

"This is just midterms; finals are still ahead," he muttered grimly. Turning to Brain, he added, "If he's coming straight at us, then it's an opportunity to capture him."

Brain nodded. "We'll see how terrifying this fellow truly is if he dares to show up." With a thud, he tossed Wendy onto the ground. "Take her to heal Jellal."

Several dark mages dragged Wendy away. Jellal, having endured brutal beatings from both Natsu and Gray earlier, was barely clinging to life thanks to magical restraints keeping him alive but unable to recover fully.

Forcing another healer might leave lingering weaknesses, diminishing Jellal's strength—a risk Brain refused to take until now. Learning that the Allied Forces included a Sky Dragon Slayer capable of healing changed everything. Wendy would restore Jellal to full power, turning him into Brain's ultimate weapon.

What did Jehfrit matter? With Jellal and himself—two top-tier mages—and several S-class subordinates, anyone daring to enter their domain was signing their death warrant.

"You there, hold back the Allied Forces," Brain commanded.

"As you wish," sneered Erigor, wielding his scythe. He'd waited long enough for revenge!

Dozens of dark mages surged forward to intercept the approaching army.

---

"Villains!" a booming voice echoed outside.

"Come taste the iron fist of justice!"

Jehfrit arrived, fully aware of the barrier surrounding the area. Yet, undeterred, he charged directly into the fray, heading straight for where he sensed the largest concentration of enemies.

"Heh heh—" The hunchback grinned. "If we can capture him alive, even better."

Clapping his hands, the elder activated a pre-prepared multi-layered barrier enveloping the entire city.

*BOOM!* Several buildings collapsed as Jehfrit landed dramatically, superhero-style. Looking around at the gathered foes, his expression radiated arrogance, devoid of any fear.

"Huh?" Jehfrit spotted the hunchbacked elder, surprised to see him alive. Hadn't he killed this guy during their encounter on Galuna Island? And what was with the third eye glowing ominously on his forehead? That definitely hadn't been there before—it must have been newly transplanted.

Could it be—

"Mr. Jehfrit," the elder said with a smile. "Last time, I lost to you."

"But not this time! Remember my name—I am—"

Before he could finish, the elder suddenly gasped and retreated hastily.

*SWISH!* A crescent-shaped blade slash narrowly missed slicing off the tip of his nose.

How had Jehfrit appeared behind them so quickly?!

"Triple Barrier!" the elder shouted, conjuring three layers of defense between himself and Jehfrit.

"I don't care about your name," Jehfrit scoffed, swinging his sword effortlessly through the barriers as though they were made of butter. These hastily erected shields were little more than glorified shields, utterly useless against Hani's blade.

*WHOOSH!* Racer, renowned for his speed, materialized behind Jehfrit, launching a kick while mocking, "So slow."

"Do you really think you can outplay me with sensory tricks?" Jehfrit retorted, seeing right through the deception.

In a blur too fast for anyone to follow, Jehfrit spun around and delivered a high kick aimed squarely at Racer's head.

"What? How is this possible?!" Racer couldn't react in time. Not only was Jehfrit unaffected by his magic, but his attack speed surpassed even Racer's own!

*KABOOM!* Racer went flying like a ragdoll, crashing violently into a wall and collapsing unconscious. While not dead, he was effectively out of commission.

One down, in seconds flat.

Cobra, witnessing the scene, froze momentarily but pressed onward. "Poison Dragon's Fang Strike!"

Poisonous mist coalesced into the shape of a giant snake lunging toward Jehfrit—but shattered upon hitting nothing but an afterimage.

"I heard your thoughts," Cobra muttered, dodging sideways as a crescent blade sliced past him. Jehfrit materialized beside him, gun pointed directly at his temple.

"What did you hear?" Jehfrit asked casually.

Cobra stared at the barrel aimed at his skull, already piecing together Jehfrit's strategy: 'He knows I'll retreat backward, so he plans to shoot ahead!' Instinctively, Cobra darted forward—but screamed in agony as searing pain erupted from his side.

Jehfrit had anticipated his move perfectly and struck from the opposite direction!

*KABOOM!* Cobra flew backward, bloodied but still conscious. As a Dragon Slayer, he wasn't so easily defeated.

"Dragon Slayer, huh? Tougher than expected," Jehfrit remarked smugly. "Good hearing too?"

*SCREEEECH!* An unbearable cacophony assaulted Cobra's ears, driving him to his knees in agony.

Thus, within mere seconds, two of the Oración Seis lay incapacitated.

Brain, Hoteye, Midnight, Angel, and others stood stunned. Two down already?

*KRAK!* Power surged from Brain, Hoteye, and Midnight—all except Angel—as they prepared to intervene.

Jehfrit's prowess exceeded all expectations. No more spectating—they needed to act!

"Sevenfold Barrier!" the elder barked, summoning another protective dome.

"No good!" Just as he trapped Jehfrit inside, panic seized him again. "You possess magnetic field detection abilities, don't you? That's how you're tracking my true location. But your speed… it's simply too fast!"

Jehfrit appeared beside the elder, raising his sword for a strike. This time, the elder didn't bother trying to block—it was futile. His only option was escape.

*SPLURT!* Though slower, the elder managed to flee just in time. Jehfrit's blade severed his trailing arm instead of claiming his life.

"You fools, attack already!" the elder screamed.

"Liquid Ground!" Hoteye unleashed a wide-area spell, transforming the terrain into treacherous marshland to immobilize Jehfrit.

The previous solid ground turned liquid but Cobra kept his mobility by riding his snake.

"Your timing is pathetic! You call yourselves AoE attackers? Hurry up, faster!" Jehfrit taunted, seamlessly evading and countering each move.

Less than 0.3 seconds after Hoteye cast his spell, Jehfrit switched gears using Teal, activating Wind Blast Mode to soar clear of the swamp zone.

"HAHAHA—"

"This body possesses incredible combat potential!" Jehfrit exclaimed gleefully. "Strategic thinking, reaction speed, near-maximal combat experience—but I squandered it all because I hated sweating, detested the sticky sensation after intense battles..."

Pulling out a card, he performed a quick-change into martial arts attire.

"Wasted such a powerful physique!"

"Sweat, passion—this is YOUTH!"

"Let's get fired up!"

Midnight attacked next. "Pain Spiral."

Space twisted into a vortex, inflicting excruciating pain.

"HAHAHA—Not enough! THIS ISN'T ENOUGH!" Jehfrit slashed through the spell effortlessly.

"Darkness Waltz!" Brain countered.

"Festival Grounds!" Hoteye joined in.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM* Spells rained down relentlessly, shaking the entire city to its core.

"Did we get him?" Angel whispered nervously.

"No one could survive that barrage," Brain asserted confidently.

"Indeed!" To everyone's shock, the elder cried out jubilantly. "I guessed correctly—he's special, contracted with a primordial demon!"

As the dust settled, Jehfrit stood unscathed.

Everyone gawked in disbelief. Such an onslaught would've reduced even Makarov to ashes—how was this possible?

"What's coating your skin?!" Brain noticed something unusual. Jehfrit's complexion had grown eerily pale, almost powdered.

"Scales..." Jehfrit tilted his head slightly. "Blessings from the goddess."

Then, addressing someone unseen, he said, "Miko, it's time for full power. Long awaited, hasn't it?"

"I've dreamed of this day, Jehfrit. Trust me completely," replied a sultry feminine voice.

"Scale Angel!" Jehfrit roared.

*WHOOSH!* Two brush-like antennae sprouted atop his head, followed by triangular moth-like wings unfurling from his back.

"The last time I used this form was seven years ago," Jehfrit remarked as his skin whitened further, now entirely coated in fine scales.

"Complete Linkage: Life and Magic Sharing!" the elder exclaimed in awe. "Such a legendary state—only achieved by our Holy Father!"

"You know quite a bit," Jehfrit noted, glancing at him.

*KABOOM!* In an instant, he lunged toward the elder.

"Stop him!" the elder yelled, retreating frantically. "He's channeling the power of a primordial demon!"

"We can't win against that level of strength!"

"We need to break his magic seal and force the demon to manifest!"

"How naive," Jehfrit sneered, delivering another devastating slash.

Just as he was about to finish off the elder, several spells struck him simultaneously, sending him flying.

Brain and the others had acted blindly, relying solely on brief fluctuations in magical energy to locate Jehfrit amidst the chaos.

"Not even close," Jehfrit smirked, stabilizing himself mid-air with a flap of his wings.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM* More spells converged on him.

Closing his wings defensively, Jehfrit absorbed the impact and was blasted out of the building—but remained unharmed nonetheless.

Gasps filled the air. This level of defense defied belief!

"It hurts, Jehfrit, it hurts," Miko sobbed. "But I'll keep protecting you."

"Don't worry, Miko. It'll be over soon. Hang in there," Jehfrit reassured her softly.

"I'm okay, Jehfrit. It hurts, yes, but I'm happy. I love feeling this close to you," Miko replied tearfully yet joyfully.

*KABOOM!* Jehfrit charged back into the fray.

Without needing prompting, Brain, Hoteye, and Midnight formed a united front alongside numerous dark mages.

*CRASH CRASH CRASH* The earth trembled violently.

Angel swallowed hard, inching cautiously away from the battlefield. "Too scary! I won't participate in this fight!" She planned her escape.

"Ah, almost forgot about you," a devilish whisper sounded in her ear.

*KABLAM!* The next moment, Angel soared through the air, slamming flat onto the ground and losing consciousness.

"Hurry!" the elder urged his subordinates urgently. "How much progress on the Magnetic Field Amplifier?"

"Captain, ten seconds left!" one subordinate reported.

"Ten seconds..." The elder watched the distant skirmish, excitement gleaming in his third eye. Soon, he'd witness it—the world's greatest creation: a primordial demon! Nothing compared to Zeref's creations—these were natural-born entities of raw power.

"Seven—"

"Six—"

They counted down together.

"Two—"

"One!"

*HUM!* The Magnetic Field Amplifier activated, enhancing the elder's detection capabilities exponentially.

"I see it! I SEE IT!" The elder's third eye burned with fervor as his perception skyrocketed.

There! A distorted, abnormal aura took shape—a two-meter-tall figure gradually becoming visible. White, unmistakably female…

Now crystal clear!

Standing behind Jehfrit was a towering, predominantly white demoness!