Chapter 149: The Ferocity of Fiendfyre

"This is the fate of anyone who dares attack our guild master!"

George's amplified voice boomed across the battlefield as Aria's lifeless body hit the ground.

The entire crowd was stunned.

For mages, abilities like George's were almost akin to a cheat code.

They didn't operate within the traditional framework of magic, making them harder to detect when activated.

Ordinary spells, no matter how subtle, inevitably created magical fluctuations that top-tier mages could sense in advance. Even spells from different magical systems shared similarities.

But magnetic manipulation? That was pure superpower. Its effects produced no magical fluctuations, rendering it completely undetectable.

If George had relied solely on the Killing Curse or the Sectumsempra spell for his final attack, it might not have worked. Even in a moment of mental blankness, Aria's instincts would likely have triggered a magical defense in response to the familiar pulse of magic.

"George… actually defeated Aria, the leader of the Four Elemental Wizards!"

Below, under Mirajane's guidance, the mages of Fairy Tail had just retreated from Phantom Lord's guild hall. Upon witnessing George's triumph over Aria in a one-on-one fight, every single one of them stared in disbelief.

"He kept saying he wasn't strong and only beat Gajeel by sheer luck. Well, what now? Aria wasn't luck!"

"George is just too modest!"

"With this, Fairy Tail will have another S-Class wizard soon!"

"George did great! He avenged the guild master! So satisfying!"

The one they hated most at that moment wasn't Phantom Lord's leader, Jose, but Aria—the one who had ambushed Makarov and left him on the brink of death.

George's victory over Aria felt cathartic, like a balm for their collective rage.

Despite their excitement, the mages continued their strategic retreat under Mirajane's orders.

Though George had defeated Aria, things weren't going as well on Erza, Natsu, and Gray's end.

The three were barely holding their ground against Jose. As one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Jose's strength was overwhelming.

Even with Erza's mastery as a top-tier S-Class mage, and the combined efforts of Natsu and Gray—both capable of S-Class-level feats—they were clearly outmatched.

All three were covered in injuries. Erza's Black Wing Armor was nearly in tatters.

"This is bad!"

George, having taken down Aria, turned and frowned at the sight of his comrades' dire situation.

Even if he joined them, their combined strength wouldn't be enough to hold off Jose. They were simply not in the same league.

Jose's mastery of dark and death magic posed a particular challenge. Even if George could land a Killing Curse, there was no guarantee it would work.

Other spells or abilities might not even breach the thick layer of magical energy surrounding Jose.

He had seen how one of Erza's most powerful strikes was effortlessly caught by Jose's magic-formed hand of darkness.

"Looks like I have no choice but to use that spell."

To ensure a safe retreat for everyone, George realized he needed to unleash his most powerful magic.

It was risky—if used at full strength, it would spiral out of control—but as long as it bought enough time for everyone to escape, it would be worth it.

"Fiendfyre!"

George poured his magic into the spell, holding nothing back.

Enhanced by his top-tier wand, especially adept at fire-based spells, a colossal blue fire dragon roared into existence.

The beast, wreathed in cursed flames and imbued with a semblance of sentience, lunged toward Jose with a deafening roar.

"Get back!"

Hearing George's shout, Erza quickly spread her wings and dragged the battered Natsu and Gray back toward George.

Jose, however, seethed with fury.

"To think that one of my top wizards was killed by a mere cat! Worthless fools!"

The Phantom Lord had suffered a series of humiliating defeats. Their ace mages had been captured or defeated, the leader of the Four Elemental Wizards had been slain by a non-S-Class mage, and Jose himself had been delayed by Makarov's magic and three "insects."

"Today, every single Fairy Tail mage will die. Only then will the Phantom Lord's honor be restored!"

"Soul Devour!"

Expending a massive amount of magic, Jose summoned two colossal black phantoms capable of devouring souls. The spectral entities lunged toward the blue fire dragon, attempting to consume it.

However, George's Fiendfyre wasn't an ordinary flame. Cursed and semi-sentient, it reacted with fury to the phantoms' attempts. The dragon roared and bit into the dark specters.

The clash of dark energy and blue flames created an explosive stalemate. Below, the Phantom Lord guild hall ignited, forcing its mages to flee in terror.

"Impossible!"

Jose's face twisted in disbelief as his phantoms were held at bay by the flames. He couldn't fathom how a "mere cat" could wield such a powerful spell.

"Well done, George! Let's take this chance to finish him off!"

Natsu's spirit reignited, and he prepared to charge forward, aiming to end Jose once and for all.

But George quickly stopped him.

"Are you crazy? Retreat! That fire dragon doesn't distinguish between friend and foe—it'll attack us too! Focus on saving the guild master and regrouping later!"

Fiendfyre was uncontrollable and wouldn't differentiate between allies and enemies.

If they tried to coordinate an attack alongside it, they'd risk annihilation.

"Listen to George!"

Erza delivered a swift kick to Natsu's ass before hauling him and Gray along, following George as they regrouped with the retreating Fairy Tail forces.

Once George and the others had fully retreated, Jose managed to dispel the blue fire dragon by brute force, using his overwhelming dark magic.

The effort, however, left him visibly drained.

"Mobilize every division! Activate the mobile fortress! We're taking the fight to Fairy Tail's headquarters!"

Wrapped in dark energy, Jose muttered with venomous rage:

"None of them will escape. Not one."

Killing Makarov was paramount. If Makarov recovered, his devastating light magic could spell disaster.

"But, Master, Aria is dead. Without him, we can't activate the Jupiter Cannon," said Sol, his face swollen from Erza's earlier blows.

The mobile fortress's greatest weapon, the Jupiter Cannon, required the combined magic of the Four Elemental Wizards to function.

With Aria gone, it was essentially out of commission.

"Idiot! Modify it! Have Gajeel take Aria's place. The power will drop, but it'll still be enough!"

In their hasty retreat, Fairy Tail hadn't managed to secure Gajeel. With him still under Phantom Lord's control, Jose intended to use him as a substitute.

"No matter what, Fairy Tail will pay for this humiliation."