"Roar—"
Jehfrit was awakened by the roar of beasts.
Laxus had planted a few lightning rods around their camp, allowing the trio to sleep soundly through the night.
By morning, when the magic faded, the beasts dared to approach.
He sat up and saw Lisanna combing her hair.
Laxus happened to step out of the tent.
Jehfrit followed suit.
*BAM*
A bolt of lightning shot into the forest. Less than ten seconds later, Laxus returned, dragging a charred beast behind him.
"Good morning, yawn—" Lisanna stretched lazily.
"Mm," both responded with curt nods.
Laxus was naturally aloof, while Jehfrit simply had morning grogginess.
"Hmph," Lisanna pouted. "Here I am, getting up earliest and even fixing myself up nicely, and this is the thanks I get?"
"You look great," Jehfrit said dismissively.
"Same," Laxus added.
"I'll give you 'same'!" Lisanna immediately charged at Laxus, raining punches and kicks.
Laxus stood there helplessly like a punching bag.
After breakfast, the three continued onward.
The frequency of beasts appearances increased, and their strength grew stronger.
But for these three, it was nothing extraordinary.
"Interesting," Jehfrit pushed up his glasses.
"What's up, Jehfrit-nii?" Lisanna asked from behind, holding onto the other end of Jehfrit's staff.
Not long ago, she claimed to be tired and insisted Jehfrit pull her along.
And Jehfrit hadn't even complained about fatigue!
Though, to be fair, he hadn't fought all morning—but walking still counted as effort, right?
"Don't you notice? The deeper we go, the more the beasts resemble primates," Jehfrit explained.
"Huh?" Lisanna looked utterly confused.
"It means there's a dark mage conducting experiments," Jehfrit stated bluntly.
"Do you think they're strong...?" Lisanna worried. "Someone who can create so many demon beasts must be a powerful dark mage."
"Hey, little girl." Jehfrit turned around, pressing down on Lisanna's soft cheeks until her lips puckered like a chicken's beak. "Do you know who's taking you on this mission?"
"Never mind Laxus, that illiterate blonde brute who's good at fighting."
"My research in this area ranks among the top five in the world, got it?"
"...," Laxus peeled off a large chunk of bark from a nearby tree.
What did he mean by "illiterate blonde brute"?!
"Top five? Who's better than you?" Lisanna asked curiously.
"Eh, kids shouldn't ask," Jehfrit replied.
Zeref was one; his research on demons was indeed ahead of Jehfrit's, though Jehfrit was just starting.
Miko was another. Despite her forgetful nature, her very existence represented the pinnacle of demons and alchemy.
Representing the peak of dragons—the Dragon King Acnologia: unmatched offense and defense.
Representing the peak of mages—the founder of black magic, Zeref: infinite health.
Representing the peak of demons—the demi-god Miko: near-infinite shields and near-infinite health.
For these three, Jehfrit held genuine respect. They were pioneers in their respective fields and exemplars of transcending humanity.
Apart from them, even the strongest of the Ten Wizard Saints or the Spriggan 12 were mere mortals, existing on a completely different plane compared to the top three.
Don't let Miko's timid demeanor fool you. Her boldest claim was, "Though I can't defeat Acnologia or Zeref, it won't be easy for them to kill me either."
Miko usually avoided fights and cried when hurt.
Yet once, on Galuna Island, a single punch from her created a crater with a radius of a kilometer.
In Edolas, even at full strength, Edolas-Chadfrit could only produce a crater half that size.
And such power was on par with Ansa.
Think about how desperate everyone was fighting Ansa. If it weren't for Jehfrit's time-based execution of his magic, the entire guild—and perhaps all of Edolas—would have been wiped out trying to take him down.
It might've forced some big shots to make an early appearance.
And yet, Ansa beat Jehfrit senseless without leaving a scratch on him—aside from dislocating his arm due to improper movement, not because his defense was broken.
You could say Fairy Tail's combined efforts barely scratched Ansa.
If Ansa were to fight Miko, even if she stood still, he wouldn't leave a mark.
And Miko kept saying she couldn't defeat Zeref or Acnologia—just how monstrous were those two?
These three weren't just peaks of strength but also they were once the closest to truth, the ultimate in knowledge—even if their minds weren't entirely sharp now.
"Hmph, fine, I won't ask," Lisanna swatted Jehfrit's hand away.
The trio pressed deeper into the forest.
"Ahh—" Jehfrit made a strange noise.
"What's wrong?" Lisanna asked.
"There are lots of beasts ahead. We might be approaching their main base," Jehfrit said.
Laxus glanced at the two and opened his mouth.
"Lightning Dragon's—"
"Roar!!!"
*BOOM*
The dense forest ahead was obliterated by the roar.
"Can't you show some respect for the environment?" Jehfrit asked.
Ignoring him, Laxus transformed into a bolt of lightning and rushed in.
"Laxus-nii, wait for me!" Lisanna quickly shifted into her cat form and chased after him.
Jehfrit cast a spell and quietly followed.
Ahead, Laxus was already engaged with numerous beasts, while Lisanna occasionally sniped hits from the sidelines. This actually hindered Laxus, forcing him to constantly keep an eye on her.
"Jehfrit," Laxus called out.
He wanted to hand over the task of protecting Lisanna to Jehfrit.
"I'm not here. You handle it," Jehfrit replied.
He bypassed the battlefield and headed deeper.
Rounding a hill, he spotted a research facility.
Outside stood a dozen humanoid beasts exuding powerful auras.
Each possessed strength close to S-Class level.
Such power would send Lucy running for her life. Even Natsu and Gray would need to endure a beating before defeating them all.
But these weren't the strongest.
Using the convenience of his magic, Jehfrit slipped past these beasts and entered the facility.
Inside were three even stronger humanoid beasts—all towering figures over two meters tall, nearly devoid of beasts traits except for their abundant fur.
What was surprising was that these three shared the same face.
Their eyes were closed, unaware of the intruder in their midst.
Jehfrit treaded carefully. These three beasts each possessed the equivalent of a typical guild's S-Class mage in terms of magical power. Of course, this was based on raw numbers, and in actual combat, they might not match experienced mages of the same tier.
Bypassing them, Jehfrit stopped outside the deepest laboratory.
The door was locked, so he sensed inside.
There was one presence close to Erza's level, one ordinary, and one weak.
He decided to wait.
Minutes passed.
The sounds of Laxus' battle drew closer.
Jehfrit had finally completed infecting everyone.
These beasts's wills were far weaker than those of mages.
He pulled out Hani and sliced open the lab door.
Inside were two people—a middle-aged mage in a white coat and a muscular man lying on a surgical table.
Their faces bore similarities, indicating a blood relation. The man's face matched the three humanoid beasts outside, clearly the source of their lineage.
There was also a cat—a golden-furred, sharp-eared feline trapped in a cage, its physical and mental state dire.
This must be Speed they were searching for.
"Brother," the middle-aged mage spoke tenderly. "Your perfect body will soon be ready. Just one last step, and you'll be revived."
Jehfrit approached, watching the mage perform surgery.
He took two lumps of flesh, cut open the man's back, transplanted the lumps, and began connecting nerves.
"This is something I researched from a fascinating species—a pair of wings. With these, your childhood dream of flying will come true," the middle-aged mage said gently, his love for his brother evident.
However, the man wasn't his brother but rather a body crafted for him.
Jehfrit understood.
This guy was attempting necromancy.
First, using beasts for life alchemy to create a powerful body.
Then summoning spirits to revive the dead.
Playing with dangerous things, indeed.
Jehfrit wasn't in a rush. He watched the surgery conclude and prepared to reap the rewards.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM*
The sounds of Laxus' battle grew louder.
"Damn it!" The middle-aged mage angrily threw down his scalpel. "Who dares disturb us!"
*Caw caw* A crow squawked.
"Report!"
"Master, a powerful mage is heading this way. The beasts can't stop him!"
"Send out those useless ones outside."
"Yes."
The powerful beasts outside moved.
Jehfrit paid no mind.
The gap between an average guild's S-Class and someone like Laxus wasn't small.
The middle-aged mage resumed his surgery.
His movements were skilled, albeit rough, and he finished quickly.
"Not bad, but there's room for upgrades. Why use beasts? They have limits," Jehfrit mused, already thinking about how to utilize this.
"Need to change the face—it's ugly."
He critiqued.
*Sizzle sizzle*
The middle-aged mage began inscribing a magic circle.
A soul-summoning magic circle.
Jehfrit recognized it—he knew it too.
Self-deception, nothing more.
Summoning souls was correct, but it would only randomly summon a malicious spirit.
Without him here, this guy would surely kill himself.
Thus, dabbling in forbidden knowledge without sufficient understanding wasn't gambling—it was suicide. Gambling had odds, however slim. This was sheer recklessness.
Jehfrit discreetly modified it from behind.
With Deception Magic, the other party didn't notice a thing.
The modified magic circle's function—emit light.
Literally, just emit light.
At that moment,
the trapped cat shouted, "Stop! Don't make another mistake!"
"Silence, Speed!" The middle-aged mage roared. "You're useless now. If not for your uniqueness, you'd have no value left!"
Speed flinched, looking outside where the battle raged.
He clasped his hands together, praying fervently, "Mr. Laxus, please protect that mage and make him retreat. It's too dangerous here. Don't end up like me, losing your life for nothing."
"???" Jehfrit tilted his head slightly.
This guy... why mention Laxus?
As an Exceed, knowing Laxus wasn't unusual. But mentioning him now felt unexpected.
The middle-aged mage finished drawing the magic circle.
"Brother—"
"We'll be reunited soon!"
*BOOM*
Suddenly,
the ceiling was blown apart, more accurately, blasted away by a roar.
*CRASH*
A beasts fell from above, charred black.
"Is that!!" Speed's eyes widened, gazing outside expectantly.
*CRASH*
Another beasts, struck by a bolt of lightning, was sent flying into the lab.
The lightning retreated, revealing Laxus.
"La-Laxus-sama!!" Speed stared in shock at the newcomer.
"Hmm? You're Speed?" Laxus looked at Speed.
"Yes!" Speed shouted excitedly.
"I've come to save you," Laxus walked over.
"Bastard, who do you think you are to ignore me!" The middle-aged mage roared.
"So you're the culprit," Laxus turned to him, raising his hand to unleash a bolt of lightning.
*BOOM*
The man on the operating table moved, jumping in front of the middle-aged mage and shattering Laxus' lightning with a punch.
"Laxus-sama!" Speed warned anxiously. "Be careful! That guy's a humanoid beast, the strongest here!"
"Kill him," the middle-aged mage commanded.
*WHOOSH* The man charged at Laxus.
"Awusayituo—" The middle-aged mage began chanting.
The magic circle glowed with white light.
"Laxus-nii!" Lisanna rushed in.
"Jehfrit, keep an eye on her," Laxus said, though he couldn't see Jehfrit, he knew he was present.
"Got it," Jehfrit stepped forward, pulling Lisanna to his side.
"Jehfrit-nii, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and take out that dark mage!" Lisanna, puzzled by Jehfrit's inaction, wondered why he wasn't striking first instead of waiting for the enemy's big move.
"I've already arranged everything. Let's watch the show for now. It's rare to have the chance to see this body's potential," Jehfrit said.
"Huh?" Lisanna was filled with questions but trusted Jehfrit's confidence.
"Is that Speed?" Lisanna noticed the trapped cat.
"Yes."
"Should we rescue him?"
"Not yet," Jehfrit shook his head.