Chapter 24 - Ending one fight just to start another.

"Yo Arthur, got any other tricks up yer sleeve?" Krax asked me.

"Oh yeah, I think I've got something for you…" I replied and stood silent for a moment.

That's right…

I still have Mana Zone…

My ace in the hole!

It's a technique I've been practicing for the last four years or so…

I'm going to be honest, I haven't been able to perfect it yet, like at all.

The best I could do is a ten meter wide area that I can sometimes make.

Mana zone isn't easy to make because the world itself is much different here compared to that of black clover's world.

Heck, you can't even call it Mana Zone here! It should be Ether Zone or something...

Anyway, the problem with using it now is that I've only ever been able to use it once every like… five… maybe ten tries? Hahaha… haha… haaa…

Yeah.

This is a gamble alright…

But if I can pull this off, it will be well worth it!

After all Man- *cough* Ether Zone allows the user to use the Ethernano in the vicinity to boost their abilities!

It's like having a larger Magic Power pool! And it gives you a zone in which you can shoot magic spells from any direction!

That is basically hacks!

"Yeah, I saved it for last... One last all or nothing gamble! My final technique!" I paused for a moment.

"And it is… what exactly?" They both asked and stared at me for a moment.

"The Joestar family secret technique of running away!" I say and dash off at full speed!

"WHAT THE HELL EVEN IS THAT?!" They both yell in unison!

"Arthur! Get back here you bastard!" Krax yells at me from behind and using a wave of Ice, he starts chasing me while sliding on top of it.

"Arthur-san! I had not figured you for a coward!" Zult yelled as well and ran towards me at frightening speeds!

Speed multiplication again?

Anyway, I flew up to the top of one of the walls and landed there.

"Let's see you try and get me here! {Barrier}! {Titanium Sphere} {Steel Sphere} {Iron Sphere} {Stone Sphere}!" After surrounding myself in 5 protective layers I sat cross-legged in a meditation position and began concentrating on activating Ether Zone.

He got up on the wall and jumped up above the sphere layers I surrounded myself with.

"Don't play games with me! Get out here you chicken!" He yelled and conjured a giant iceberg, launching it at the Stone sphere breaking it and even cracking the iron layer.

I pay him no mind as I concentrate on the Ether Zone.

Creating a mental image of a sphere around me and sending my magic power in all directions trying to take control of the Ethernano around me.

"Hold on Krax, I'll give this a try." Zult said and smacked the Iron layer with a magma fist infused with a ten times strength multiplication.

The attack shattered both iron and steel alike leaving only the Titanium layer and my normal barrier spell.

You'd probably think… Hey! You've had enough time to activate your technique haven't you? And with two more layers protecting you, ain't you fine and dandy?

Well, you'd be wrong. It failed damn it! The activation was a bust again!

"one, two!" Both Zult and Krax slammed the titanium layer with ice and magma smashing it to bits in one attack!

C'mon second try…

I attempt to activate Ether Zone again but…

It's another failure!

*SMASH* *BREAK*

Zult and Krax unite once again and crack my barrier.

"Darn… Well, cya guys! {Teleport}!" I teleported to the wall on the other side before the barrier could break completely

"W-what is wrong with you?! Come here and fight us like a man you pansy!"

I ignore Krax and once again enter a meditation stance. Trying to activate Ether Zone…

Hey, third time's the charm right?

"Krax, calm down… I think he's up to something…" Zult is being cautious now…

Well now…

That's great!

"What do you mean?" Krax asked

"He wouldn't be doing something like that without a reason… If he wanted to run away he'd have done it already. I'm telling you Arthur-san is up to something!" Zult replied.

"Well I'll be on my guard then… So let's just charge at him already!" Krax said and ran towards me at full speed.

"Wait you idiot!" Shocked, Zult reached out to Krax but it was already too late so he ran after him.

The Krax was about half way to reaching my current position when…

I was finally able to activate Ether Zone!

I created a bigger zone this time! Twelve meters in diameter haha!

With this…

I can win!

"Are you gonna run away this time again you little shit?!" Krax said and threw a barrage of icicles at me

"No, I don't think I will. {Teleport}!" I replied and appeared behind Krax with my teleport spell.

"Sorry for this… But I'm ending our fight now. {Ether Zone: Cruel Sun}" After saying that, three Cruel Suns appeared surrounding Krax.

"Wha-" Before Krax could even finish his sentence he was slammed from all directions by the three balls of inferno, resulting in a huge explosion and a massive dust cloud.

"KRAAAX!!!" Zult yelled out and raced towards me with his multiplied speed.

"DAMN YOU!!" He roared and threw a magma punch at my face, multiplying its size by at least ten times.

"{Ether Zone: Spiral Ice Lance}"

I created over a dozen ice lances that were spinning at insanely high speeds, sending them into Zult's body before he could reach me.

"DAMN IT!!!" Zult roared like a wild beast unleashing his magma ability to its maximum capacity sending waves of lava everywhere.

Even though he managed to melt most of them, he was covered in bruises and a chunk of his left leg, right arm and left shoulder were gone.

I on the other hand was hovering in the sky, looking over at both Krax and Zult's positions.

Krax was inside of a crater made by the Cruel Suns and had surprisingly managed to survive my last attack! He was missing his left arm though…

"*Pant* Krax! *Huff* You're alive!" Zult exclaimed while looking all worn out and bleeding profusely from his wounds.

"I could say… the same thing… right back at ya…" Krax bȧrėly replied while holding what used to be his arm, he had lost allot of blood and his skin had been charred all over.

The two of them started looking around all over the place for me.

"W-where… is he…?" Krax asked

I however was above them, flying in the sky.

Before I use this next one… {Clairvoyance}!

Hmm… Rowl and Erza are far away at the edge of the barrier…

Why are they there? Anyway…

This is perfect! With them out of the way I can use…

"{Ether Zone: Nuclear Fission}!" I yelled out gaining Krax and Zult's full attention

Using the surrounding Ethernano and my own magic power I deployed what is currently my most devastating spell!

The atomic nuclei started merging all around them, creating ripples at their location!

"Thi-this is…?" Shock filled Zult's face

"What the hell is that?!" Krax yelled in confusion at his surroundings

"The End."

As my words fell down and reached their ears, the magic went off and a massive explosion erupted on the ground!

Waves of powerful force and shockwaves were sent in all directions! A massive mushroom cloud appeared in the middle of the enemy's HQ.

After the smoke cleared, the ring had disappeared and so had most of the buildings leaving but a crater in their place.

This spell's destructive radius is controlled mostly by the amount of magic power it is infused with, so thankfully even though it was basically a nuclear bomb drop…

It wasn't as strong as an actual nuke.

Though, the spell itself took more than sixty percent of my usual magic power pool!

If it wasn't for Ether Zone, I'd have probably been rung dry after using that spell once…

Ha… I just killed two people didn't I?

I really don't know how I feel about that…

But I feel okay with it right now, maybe from the adrenaline? Who knows...

Or perhaps I've become a stone cold killer? Haha! Course not…

"*cough* *cough* *cough* *pant* *pant*" a person emerged from the ground, covered in magma.

"D-dam..n i..t… *cough*" that person said while bȧrėly standing

Is that…

Zult!? He's still alive?!

How?

"You're alive?!" I exclaimed

"Ye..s… Can't rea..lly say th-the same about Kr..ax though… Hahaha… Ouch!" He said smiling and laughing.

"What's so funny about it?" I asked him as he kept on laughing

"Hahaha… Oh no…thing… It's just that I ca…n't beli..eve we lost to yo-you like this Arthur-s..an… What hap-happened to you all of a su..dden… what th..e he-hell was th-that?" He asked me

"Well, I did say I had one last trick up my sleeve didn't I? How was it?"

"Right, you did… A ve..ry n-nice 'trick' as you cal-called it… haha…" his laughed turned bȧrėly into a whisper.

"How'd you survive my last attack by the way?" I decided to ask out of curiosity.

"I just… Multi...plied my def-defenses and res…istan..ces to the ma-maximum… Ignoring all else…"

"Wow… Honestly that's impressive."

"T-thank you, it mea..ns al-allot com..ing fr..om the man to de..feat both m-me and my friend Krax… As a re..ward I g-gu..ees, I'm wh-whiling to gi..ve you one piece of good advice…"

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Do not cross paths with our team captain, unless you seek an early death that is… Even if you don't however, he will most definitely seek you out after today!" Zult said while glaring at me, no longer stuttering nor with ragged breathing.

Taken aback by his statement I decide to ask.

"Just who is this captain of yours that you're so proud of?"

"Heh, sure… I'll tell you. While he does have a name, he prefers to be called Bl-" Before he could even finish his sentence Zult was suddenly devoured whole by an abyss black demonic creature!

Its form was that of a mouth with razor sharp teeth.

What the hell is that thing!?!?

"OooooooOOOOooOOHHHHhhhHHHh!!! This… This… THIS SOUL! WHAT IS THIS?!" The creature roared in what seemed like pŀėȧsurė.

That thing can talk?!

"I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH DELICASY! More… I… I WANT MORE!" It roared and looked around all over the place.

Its eyes finally landing on me.

"You… You have the same scent… IS YOUR SOUL JUST AS GOOD I WONDER?! WHaHHAHaHhAhAhahahHAhaHhAhaHHA!!" I licked its lips and laughed maniacally.

"W-what the hell are you?" I said as I took a step back.

"Whahahahhahah!!!" Instead of replying the monster just laughed and charge at me!

At frightening speeds exceeding even Zult's multiplied speed no less!

Because of Ether Zone enhancing my sense I was able to react to it and flew away at full speed!

The monster seeing this just decided to grow wings of its own and chase after me!

"Tsk. {Ether Zone: Cruel Sun}!" Creating five Cruel Suns I send all of them towards the creature…

Just as they were about to hit It…

Its mouth opened up wide and simply devoured all five of them in one giant bite!

"How?!" I yelled in surprise

"Hahahahha! Lemme eat your soul child!"

Damn it…! Where the hell did this thing show up from?!

Wait… The sword?! Was that artifact Rowl spoke of awakened?!

Where are Erza and Rowl currently?!

"{Clairvoyance}!" I said while flying in zigzags dodging the demon's maw.

Looking through the area, I found that Erza and Rowl were safe at the edge of the barrier still…

But…

Why are they running back this way?!

"Shit… {Ether Zone: Radiation Removal}!" I cast a spell on the entire area in an effort to remove the radiation remaining from my previous spell.

Why are those two coming here now of all times…

.

.

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(Erza POV a few minutes earlier)

After escaping from the tower where that demon was…

Me and Rowl ran a few hundred meters and stopped for him to take a breather.

"*Pant* M-miss Erza… *Pant* We need to get the hell away from here!" He said with a panic stricken look on his face.

"We can't just leave Arthur by himself here! He's still fighting those two and doesn't even know about that… 'Thing'!" I replied angrily at his suggestion

"We don't have a choice! I'm sure that monster of a child can handle himself perfectly fine! For now let's just get out of here!"

"I'm not going… I can't just leave!"

"Damn it… You forced me to do this! {Illusionary hypnosis}!"

"W-what are you-" He caught me by surpise! Damn it!

"I'm sorry miss Erza… This is for your own good!"

I'm losing…

Consciousness…

…

(Rowl POV)

God damn it… I had to do it!

Now I just need to pick her up and leave…

.

.

.

After walking outside the walls and a good distance beyond that…

Behind us in the middle of the HQ there was a MASSIVE explosion!

The force of it even reached our position… I shamefully admit that I fell over and dropped Miss Erza…

With my spell broken from my fall, she quickly regained her senses and ran back towards that warzone…

"Wait you stupid red chili pepper child! Come back here!"

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.

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(Arthur POV)

If they come here now… I can't guarantee that the demon won't just devour them on the spot…

I need to end this quickly!

Flying upwards until I reached a height of a few hundred feet I stared at the monster that was coming straight at me from below.

"{Ether Zone: ALMIGHTY PUSH}!"

"WHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!... Eh… The hell is this?!"

Sending a force stronger than ever before! I send the demon slamming down towards the ground!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH" The creature roared as it fell until it crashed into the previously created crater!

"{Ether Zone: Hurricane of Blades}!" After creating a spiraling torrent of all kind of weapons in the general vicinity of the creature I activate my next spell…

"{Ether Zone: Spiral Flames}!" Over fifteen spinning balls of fire appeared around me…

Every single one of them shooting a wave of spiraling flames directly into the vortex of steel!

A flaming explosion erupts and smoke covers the vicinity once more!

"Whahaahhaha! Not bad for a child! Your soul will indeed be a delicious feast! WHAHAHAHHAHAA" I heard the malicious voice of the demon

Did all of that not even faze it?!

This thing is far stronger than Deliora!!!

…

After the smoke cleared…

I could see that the creature had changed its shape…

It now had a humanoid like form.

Bat like wings on its back, a flaming skull with purple flames for a head, Abyss black claws and feet, something that looked like bone armor on its body…

And last but not least… A demonic sinister sword in its hands, it had a shade of blood colored red all over it… some kind of weird symbols on it and a jaw like hilt!

The sword was actually infused with its body!

Well… I would ȧssume that it's the main body of that thing… So it makes sense I guess?

"Whahahaha! Now child! Entertain me as my prey! My MEAL!" the demon roared and lunged at me.

I have less that twenty percent of my magic power left now…

This isn't looking good at all…

Not one bit…