Chapter 72: Why Not Give It a Name? (Please Subscribe!)

“Caw—caw—caw!”

A hoarse crow call rose as a flock of large, raptor-sized crows surged into the sky, startling a flock of forest birds.

Sharp beaks, razor claws, wings spread wide like black umbrellas—the twelve crows exuded overwhelming pressure.

“Black Wing Feathers!”

At Mo En’s sharp command, the crows flapped their wings, and black feathers immediately shed like rain, cascading down to cover the people below—dense, countless, and deeply unsettling.

“Waaah-waaah-waaah!”

The children below were stunned by the sight; Natsu screamed wildly, swinging his fists as flames of Fire Dragon Slayer Magic erupted, burning toward the black feathers.

Gray used Ice-Make Magic to construct an ice chamber, sealing himself inside—no door, just pure enclosure, but Gray could always get out himself.

Gray had learned from experience—never fight Mo En head-on; he went straight for the turtle-shell defense.

In contrast, Natsu was clearly still in the “forgetful eater” phase—he had no defensive techniques or habits to speak of.

“Shhh-shhh-shhh!”

Erza, clad in armor, swung her sword in a blur, cutting every falling black feather to pieces with flawless precision.

“Ugh!”

Mirajane roared, shifting her form as demonic power surged from her body in violet-black magic, attempting to repel the descending black feathers.

Elfman and Lisanna, two magic apprentices, hid behind their sister Mirajane—they were still too inexperienced.

As for Cana and Levy, the two veterans failed to react in time and were instantly buried under the black feathers.

Cana and Levy stood side by side, both completely coated in black feathers, transformed into “black badminton shuttles,” their bodies immobilized and tightly bound.

But Mo En didn’t cover their noses—he left them a small opening to breathe.

“Waaah-waaah-waaah!”

Natsu yelled wildly; though he burned off some feathers, it was useless—many more still landed on him.

These feathers carried immense magic, strong enough to resist his flames—Natsu was completely suppressed.

Erza cut her way forward; though most of her body was covered in black feathers, she successfully escaped the feather zone.

In the end, only Erza herself escaped the feather coverage.

“Click.”

Gray opened a small hole in the side of his ice chamber, peered out, and saw the black feathers had stopped falling.

“Crack!”

The ice chamber shattered; Gray leapt out.

“Ha! I made it!”

Gray raised both hands triumphantly—he was now on the same level as Erza!

No! He was stronger than the slightly disheveled Erza!

Gray wanted to boast to Natsu—but when he looked at the field covered in black feathers, he couldn’t tell which “black badminton shuttle” was Natsu!

“That one.”

Mo En pointed to one of the “shuttles”—it was faintly steaming, as if being ignited from within.

“Don’t think Itachi can escape, Natsu!”

At Mo En’s hint, Gray clapped his hands—another layer of ice instantly formed over the feathers covering Natsu. The feathers, already steaming and on the verge of igniting, froze solid in an instant.

“.”

Mo En and Erza fell silent. These two troublemakers.

“That’s enough, Mo En. They’re all stuck.”

Erza brushed the black feathers off her body and spoke to Mo En—his new ability was truly strange: no obvious killing power, yet secretly lethal, the feathers clinging like burrs.

Moreover, Mo En’s strength was still far too overwhelming for the guild’s children—except for her, no one could even handle his casual attack.

“Aaaah!!!”

As if in response to Erza’s words, Mirajane’s roar rang out.

“Boom!”

Mirajane unfurled her demonic wings and shot skyward, one hand gripping Elfman, the other Lisanna—if she hadn’t been protecting her siblings, she’d never have been trapped; her agility was still exceptional.

Of course, her battle experience was lacking—if it had been Erza, she’d have grabbed her siblings and flown away instantly.

“Mirajane is strong too.”

Mo En spoke seriously—Mirajane’s power was clearly a tier above Natsu and Gray.

Gray escaped only because he used clever technique—he was diligent and thoughtful, likely why he mastered Ice-Make Magic so well.

Mo En’s words tightened Erza’s expression. Mirajane, because of past events, had been challenging her constantly, and Erza wouldn’t back down—she just didn’t want to take advantage of Mirajane’s still-incomplete magic.

But Mirajane, to compete with her, had even stolen her little cake—Erza could no longer tolerate it. It was time to teach Mirajane a lesson!

Erza gritted her teeth. Even Mo En had acknowledged Mirajane’s strength—this meant Mirajane’s magic was well-controlled. Fighting her now wasn’t unfair!

“Hum!”

Mo En waved his hand—the black feathers instantly lost their magic and fell to the ground, becoming ordinary crow feathers.

The number of feathers on the ground was far fewer than before; the magic-formed feathers had already scattered into the wind.

The trapped individuals all broke free.

“Hss!”

Natsu was freed—but not fully, because a layer of ice still encased him; Gray hadn’t canceled his spell.

“Gray! Huh!”

Natsu roared, spewing fire that melted the ice—he’d been stifled inside.

He was desperate to burst out and run wild, and maybe beat Gray up—this guy had secretly added extra ice!

Natsu quickly broke free and chased after Gray, who had sprinted into the forest. The two chased and fought each other, making a loud racket, and soon vanished far away—these two never stopped causing chaos.

Cana and Levy were also freed. Cana remained calm, unaffected by being easily captured by Mo En—she had a clear understanding of her own strength: ten of her combined couldn’t defeat him.

The other girl, however, was excited—Levy ran up to Mo En, her eyes filled with curiosity, studying the crows.

“Brother Mo En, your magic is so interesting! I’ve never seen anything like it—can Itachi explain it to me?”

Levy’s curiosity was ignited—she desperately wanted to understand this magical phenomenon, unlike any she’d ever seen.

Of course, all of Brother Mo En’s magic was unusual—his so-called “Spirit Magic” certainly wasn’t Spirit Magic.

“This magic is still part of my Spirit Magic ability—I’m serious. It’s just a different constellation’s power.”

Mo En spoke with complete seriousness.

“. What kind of Spirit Magic is that?”

Levy wrinkled her nose and teased.

Then suddenly, her eyes lit up—she’d thought of something.

“Brother Mo En! Let’s name your magic!”

Levy grinned excitedly with the suggestion.

Her idea immediately sparked everyone’s interest.

“I agree—Brother Mo En’s magic definitely isn’t Spirit Magic.”

Cana was the first to support it, eager to try divination and see if it could offer hints for the magic’s name.

“What’s wrong with calling it Spirit Magic?”

Mirajane, having returned to the ground and ended her demon reception, walked over and asked.

She, Lisanna, and Elfman clearly didn’t understand—they were all magic newcomers and fully believed Mo En’s words, never suspecting he was lying.

(End of Chapter)