Chapter 177: Chapter 176: Assemble the Spriggan 12—This will be a difficult Battle!
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Alvarez Empire, Council Chamber.
The projected image showed Serena unleashing the full extent of his power, 8 Dragon Slayer magics displayed in a devastating array. Invel and the other Spriggan 12 members present were visibly shaken, their anxiety mounting.
"..."
Bloodman and Larcade broke out in a cold sweat, their voices trembling slightly.
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Although this wasn't his strongest attack, he had put his full power behind it. With his current strength, no one should be able to withstand his assault unscathed. Not even the Black Dragon Acnologia could stand there and take all of his attacks. Serena observed the area, eager to see the result of his assault.
Then, a searing flame erupted.
This blue fire was different from the flames of his Purgatory Dragon Slayer Magic. It was a different kind of fire, one that carried not the power of destruction, but the power of rebirth, of life and fire intertwined.
A clear cry, like the call of a phoenix, echoed through the air. The blue flames blossomed, forming the shape of a phoenix, its wings spread wide, pushing back Serena's Dragon Slayer Magic, repelling his power to the distant corners of the battlefield.
It resembled Naruto, in his full-tailed Nine-Tails form, a super-sized Susanoo.
Sensing the immense, boundless magical power emanating from the fiery phoenix, the remaining Spriggan 12 members in the council chamber watched in stunned silence.
"This is… Phoenix magic…?"
"Powerful…"
Whoosh!!
As the water, wind, and other Dragon Slayer magics were swept aside, the golden, fiery form of the phoenix revealed Ian, hovering within its core.
He made no grand gestures. His magical power gathered around him, forming the blue-gold, fiery phoenix. With a soft murmur, the flames solidified, taking on a tangible form, a phoenix avatar.
Then, Ian raised his hand, making a sweeping motion.
The phoenix mirrored his movement, spreading its wings and unleashing a torrent of blue-gold flames towards Serena, sweeping away the remnants of his Dragon Slayer Magic and engulfing the earth before him. The immortal phoenix stood tall.
"Uwaaahhh!!!"
Serena was consumed by the flames. He flailed his arms, trying to shield himself, screaming as the fire engulfed him. He desperately tried to withstand the onslaught of Ian's phoenix fire, gritting his teeth.
Having ascended to the Summit in the One Piece world, Ian, with the power of the Heat-Heat Fruit, could theoretically unleash flames as hot as the core of the sun, just like Yamamoto's Bankai.
"This level of magical power… However it won't be enough to defeat me! I am the 8-Dragon Serena!"
Whoosh!!!
As he spoke, he stopped trying to resist the phoenix fire. Instead, he spread his arms wide, enduring the searing flames as his body transformed into a blinding light, splitting into 8 distinct beams, each representing one of the Dragon Lacrimas embedded within him.
Rumble!!
The 8 beams of light shot into the sky, transforming into 8 intertwined dragons, each radiating a different type of magical power. They formed a colossal, monstrous being, roaring amidst the phoenix flames. This was Serena's 8-Dragon form, a form he could now maintain with greater ease, unleashing the full power of his 8 Dragon Slayer magics.
"Before my power, turn to dust, demon! 8-Dragon Mode — Dragon God's Secret Art!"
"World… Collapse!"
BOOM!!!
The 8 dragons, each a different color, intertwined, their mouths agape as they gathered their power.
Eight different colors of magic fused into a single beam, a swirling vortex of conflicting energies that ultimately merged into a single, abyssal darkness. The beam shot towards Ian, who was still in his phoenix form.
"…"
Ian's expression turned odd. Wasn't this just Acnologia's dark breath attack? So, his ultimate attack was just a casual attack for the Dragon King?
No wonder he was so easily defeated...
Ian raised his right fist, bringing it before him in a defensive posture.
As he did so, the phoenix's wings spread wide, shielding him with its fiery form. The Dragon God's attack collided with the phoenix.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion shook the very foundations of the earth. The air rippled like water, and the ground itself seemed to undulate, cracking and splitting as it spread outwards.
Even the soldiers of the Alvarez Empire, who had retreated nearly a thousand meters, were caught in the shockwave. They screamed, desperately trying to withstand the force of the blast, many thrown back by its power.
They struggled to maintain their magical defenses, feeling as if they were small boats tossed about in a raging storm.
"Even the shockwaves are this powerful…" Invel, watched the projection, his voice filled with awe.
"If the Magic King didn't use his Evil Eye, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat the 8-Dragon Serena."
"And Irene, without entering her True Dragon Form, would also struggle. Their magical power is on another level…" Bloodman added.
"Destroy! Be destroyed by my Dragon Slayer Magic!" Serena roared, unleashing the full extent of his power, a raging torrent of destruction aimed at Ian. He had given it his all, determined to defeat this demon with this one, ultimate attack.
The magical light surged forth, a blinding, destructive force that finally erupted in a blinding flash, like a miniature sun, engulfing the world in white light.
The intensity of the light forced the soldiers of the Alvarez Empire to shield their eyes.
"Ugh… Argh…"
No one knew how long it lasted, but eventually, the blinding light faded. Serena had reverted to his human form, his magical power significantly depleted, a clear sign that he had exhausted himself in that final attack.
He stared intently at the sky, his eyes filled with disbelief and denial. "Impossible…"
There, in the sky, the golden phoenix still hovered, its form unchanged.
Ian, bathed in the blue-gold flames, floated there, his expression calm and serene. He was completely unharmed, not a single mark on his body, not even a tear in his clothes. Even his magical power seemed undiminished.
In contrast, Serena was visibly weakened.
The difference was clear.
"To withstand that attack… This is absolutely ridiculous! Even Acnologia or Zeref himself, couldn't have withstood it unscathed… Aaahhh!" Serena roared in disbelief, unwilling to accept that Ian was so powerful. He gathered the last of his strength, launching another attack.
But Ian merely raised a hand, casually dispelling it with a wave of phoenix fire.
"It's over."
Ian looked at Serena, his voice calm and devoid of emotion. He raised his hands, moving them gently before him. In an instant, a brilliant blue-gold light erupted, transforming into a torrent of flames that engulfed Serena.
"Aaaahhh! No! I don't accept this… How could this be…?" Serena screamed, consumed by the phoenix fire.
He desperately tried to resist, to unleash his remaining magic, but it was futile. He couldn't withstand the power of the flames. He couldn't accept his defeat.
He was confident in his power, believing that even against the combined might of the other 8 strongest Wizard Saints of Ishgar, he could easily defeat them.
But against this unknown demon, he had felt an insurmountable gap, a difference of several levels in power.
He couldn't accept it, but it didn't matter. Ian showed no mercy. Serena's screams gradually faded as his magic was burned away. His powerful Dragon Slayer body was soon reduced to ashes by the phoenix fire.
The phoenix flames dissipated, vanishing into the air, taking Serena with them, erasing him from existence. With Serena's demise, Ian's expression remained unchanged. The flames around him faded as he slowly descended to the ground.
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The remaining Spriggan 12 members were still in a daze, staring blankly at the scene. Even the soldiers of Alvarez were frozen in place.
The 8-Dragon Serena, as powerful as the Magic King and Dragon Mother Irene, had been so easily defeated?
Invel, finally broke the silence, his voice heavy with resignation. "Assemble the Spriggan 12. This will be a difficult battle...."
"No… Even if this demon's magic is strong, I don't think he can defeat the entire Spriggan 12." Bloodman nodded, agreeing with Invel's decision.
Invel sent out the order to the Empire. The remaining Spriggan 12 members, who were scattered across the land, received the message and immediately began to converge. No one had expected Ishgar to have someone even stronger than Serena.
They brought with them vast armies, returning to their homeland, where they were met with the cheers and adulation of the Alvarez people. Then, the remaining Spriggan 12, with Larcade and Bloodman leading the way, and the others following close behind.
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Although Ian had single-handedly defeated the 8-Dragon Serena, With a display of seemingly invincible power, He was now facing the might of the Alvarez Empire, and some of the most powerful mages in the world.
It was almost like facing the entire Western Continent. Even if August and Irene couldn't shake their confidence, they were facing a single individual...
They believed that even if all of them attacked together, they could potentially defeat Zeref. Even if Irene and August joined forces, they would still lose, although they wouldn't be killed.
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Dimaria was still trembling, This demon's power was on par with Zeref and Acnologia. He was completely invincible.
If he weren't stopped, she feared she would spend the rest of her life trapped in this fractured dimension. Although she controlled time, it didn't grant her immortality.
And who knew if this powerful demon would die a natural death? Would his magic dissipate upon his death?
The thought of being trapped for who knows how long terrified her.
The mistress of time.. was now afraid of time itself!
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