Fairy Tail: Master of Deceit

As the jelly-like shade got absorbed into Jose's body, the air in the chamber grew heavy. Jose's smirk widened, his aura pulsating with barely-contained power. The Phantom Lord Guildmaster stood tall, his presence commanding the room.

"You've shown me your tricks," he began, his tone laced with dark amusement. "Now let me show you the power of a Wizard Saint." His words carried a palpable weight, a mixture of pride and menace.

With a deliberate motion, Jose raised his hand, dark energy pooling in his palm before he swung it in a sweeping arc before him. "Dark Pulse!" he bellowed.

The spell's effect was immediate. A massive explosion of darkness followed the path of his hand, the energy spiraling outward in a destructive wave. The ground trembled, walls cracked, and shards of stone rained down as the force surged across the room. The attack was not just powerful—it was overwhelming, an assault meant to crush both spirit and body.

Aurelius and Mystogan moved in tandem, instinctively leaping back to avoid the brunt of the attack. The shockwave still grazed them, the edges of the dark energy licking at their heels, leaving behind a faint, corrosive sting.

As the two were still midair, Jose's sinister laugh echoed through the chamber. He raised his hands, dark magic crackling at each fingertip. "Let's see how long you can keep up!" he sneered, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Dead Wave!" he declared, unleashing ten beams of concentrated darkness. Each shot out like a lightning strike, five beams targeting Mystogan and five aimed directly at Aurelius, showing Jose's excellent battle sense as he targeted the 2 without seeing or sensing them.

Mystogan's expression remained calm, though his movements were swift and precise. With a flick of his wrist, one of his staves floated before him, glowing with a vibrant, azure light. A brilliant beam of energy erupted from the staff's tip, colliding with the incoming dark blasts. The room was momentarily illuminated by the clash, the sound of their collision echoing like thunderclaps.

Meanwhile, Aurelius had already begun forming his counterattack. A small, glowing orb materialized at his fingertips, the color a striking yellow that seemed to burn like the sun itself. He narrowed his eyes, focusing intently as the Dead Waves closed in on him. The orb pulsed, growing brighter with each passing second.

Just as the dark beams were about to connect, the yellow orb emitted a flash of radiant energy, cutting through the darkness like a blade of light. The flash erupted outward, consuming the five Dead Waves aimed at him, disintegrating them into harmless wisps of shadow.

As the light subsided, Aurelius lowered his hand slightly, his voice breaking the brief silence. "Energy Make, Yellow: Helios Ray," he stated firmly, his tone calm despite the intensity of the moment.

As the duo readied their next attack, the chamber darkened, the oppressive aura of Jose's magic swelling to new heights. He raised both hands, his fingers weaving intricate patterns through the air as a dense surge of ethernano gathered between them. The energy pulsed and expanded, coalescing into a massive, writhing shadow. Slowly, the shape began to take form—a serpentine leviathan with jagged, shifting edges and eyes glowing with a cold, unfeeling light. Its body moved like liquid darkness, exuding an aura of predatory malice.

Mystogan's gaze narrowed as he tightened his grip on his staves. "What now?" he muttered, his tone sharp with both wariness and irritation.

Aurelius' jaw tensed, his single visible eye locking onto the monstrosity. "A shade," he murmured. "And a massive one."

Jose's smug laughter echoed through the chamber, dripping with arrogance. "Impressive, isn't it? A creation worthy of a Wizard Saint." He took a step forward, his eyes gleaming with malice as he addressed Aurelius. "Your little tricks with sense alteration may have fooled me for a moment, but against this? They're useless."

Aurelius tilted his head, unfazed. "Is that so?" he replied coolly, though his grip on his sword tightened.

"Do you even understand why?" Jose continued, savoring the opportunity to explain. "A shade is not bound by the constraints of flesh and mind. It has no senses, no thoughts, no emotions—nothing for you to manipulate. It is a pure extension of my will, a weapon with one purpose: destruction." He sneered, his gaze locking onto Aurelius. "You rely on clever tricks, altering the messages the senses send to the brain. It's quite the talent, I'll admit, but futile against something like this. You've been outmatched from the start."

Mystogan's staves began to glow faintly, his voice low but firm. "Everything has a weakness."

Jose laughed again, the sound echoing like a dark symphony. "Weaknesses? Perhaps, but not ones that either of you can exploit." He extended his arm, his voice turning cold and commanding. "Enough talk. Let's see how long you two can last."

With a sharp snap of his fingers, the leviathan reared back, its massive form twisting in unnatural ways as it let out a bone-chilling roar. The sound reverberated through the chamber, a deep, guttural noise that seemed to shake the very air.

"Kill them," Jose commanded, his tone final and absolute.

The leviathan surged forward, its shadowy body moving with a speed and precision that belied its size. Each motion radiated deadly intent, a storm of pure destruction hurtling toward Aurelius and Mystogan.

Mystogan reacted instantly, his staves spinning into formation. With a flick of his wrist, one of the staves shot forward, releasing a concentrated wave of vibrating energy. The vibrations rippled through the air, distorting the space around them as they struck the leviathan.

Simultaneously, Aurelius closed the gap with precise speed. His blade, now glowing with a radiant silver light, gleamed as he brought it down in a powerful slash aimed directly at the leviathan's core. The strike cut cleanly through the beast, splitting its shadowy form apart for a moment.

But instead of crumbling, the leviathan's body reformed almost instantly. The shadows swirled and twisted, the creature regenerating as if the attacks hadn't even grazed it.

Aurelius' expression darkened. "As expected..." he muttered under his breath, his grip on his blade tightening.

Before either of them could act again, the leviathan whipped its massive, shadowy tail with terrifying force. The attack was too sudden and too powerful. Aurelius raised his blade, angling it to block the blow, but the sheer strength behind the tail overwhelmed him.

"Damn it—!" Aurelius barely managed to get out before the impact hit.

The force sent him hurtling through the air, crashing hard into the chamber's stone wall. The impact cracked the surface, dust and debris raining down as Aurelius slumped momentarily against the rubble.

Mystogan glanced toward him briefly, concern flickering in his usually stoic gaze. "Aurelius!" he called out, his voice sharp.

Aurelius groaned, pulling himself out of the wall's indentation. His hand gripped his sword tightly as he staggered back to his feet. "I'm fine," he said, though his tone carried frustration. He glared at the leviathan, its form coiling with sinister elegance as it prepared its next attack. "This thing's tougher than I thought."

Jose's mocking laughter filled the chamber. "Oh, did I forget to mention? You might already know this, but as long as I stand, all shades cannot be destroyed. You're wasting your strength on something you cannot kill."

The leviathan let out a deafening roar, its massive shadowy form twisting menacingly as it lunged forward. Sensing the urgency, Aurelius called out to Mystogan.

"Mystogan, handle the leviathan! I'll keep Jose occupied," he commanded, his tone sharp and decisive.

Mystogan gave a curt nod, already preparing his next move. One of his staves floated forward, glowing with intricate magical symbols. He pointed it at the leviathan, and a focused magic beam shot out, colliding with the creature's form. The leviathan recoiled slightly but quickly retaliated, forcing Mystogan to maintain his assault.

Meanwhile, Aurelius turned his full attention to Jose. Channeling energy to his fingertips, an orange orb began to take form, radiating with intense heat and energy. Without hesitation, he launched it straight at Jose.

Jose, despite his lack of senses, reacted with uncanny precision, his body shifting out of the orb's trajectory with fluid grace. "Predictable," he said mockingly, his voice echoing with dark amusement.

But Aurelius smirked. "You think so?" he retorted, a glint of strategy in his eye.

The orange orb suddenly split midair into five smaller orbs, each one blazing with fiery intensity. The orbs spread to different directions, their movements rapid and unpredictable.

Jose's insticts went crazy, however, before he could react, the orbs expanded violently, creating a chain of fiery explosions that consumed the area around him.

The chamber was momentarily illuminated by the attack, the intense heat and force shaking the ground. Smoke and flames filled the air, and for the first time, Jose's figure stumbled slightly, his composure shaken.

Aurelius lowered his hand, his smirk fading into a determined glare. "Energy Make, Orange: Prometheus Blaze," he said, his voice steady as he readied himself for whatever came next.

As the dust settled from the explosion, Aurelius stood ready, watching intently as Jose's form emerged, now covered in an eerie, jellyfish-like shade. The translucent, gelatinous mass seemed to pulse with dark energy, wrapping around his body like a living barrier. However, a few burns can be seen in Jose's body, meaning that the attack was still effective.

Aurelius' eyes narrowed. "So, he's got more tricks up his sleeve..." he muttered under his breath.

Jose's voice rang out, cold and taunting. "You think you can hurt me with that weak attack? You'll need more than that!" He raised his hands, and with a flick of his fingers, a series of dark, twisting beams—Dead Waves—shot toward Aurelius in rapid succession.

Aurelius reacted instantly, his body springing into motion. He leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the first wave of dark energy that sizzled past him. The air crackled with destructive force, and the ground beneath him cracked open as another Dead Wave tore through it. Aurelius rolled to his feet, narrowly dodging a third, and then a fourth, with only inches to spare. The flashes of dark light burned the air as he zigzagged through the barrage, each wave missing by millimeters.

His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins as the Dead Waves continued to rain down. "Damn it... He's relentless." Aurelius' mind raced as he calculated his next move.

But then, a sudden shift in his perception made him look up.

Aurelius noticed that the jellyfish-like shade surrounding Jose was no longer just a shield. It had come to life, twisting and contracting, and now it too was firing Dead Waves at him. More beams shot out from the pulsing mass, creating an almost overwhelming storm of dark energy.

Aurelius darted to the right, twisting his body in a desperate bid to avoid the incoming waves, but the attack was relentless. The waves were now coming from all directions, cornering him. His focus sharpened as he executed a series of flips and rolls, narrowly dodging the dangerous beams that threatened to obliterate him with every step.

"Think, Aurelius, think..." he gritted through clenched teeth. He could feel the heat of the blasts as they whizzed by, the force of each wave creating a shockwave that nearly sent him off balance.

But with each move, the number of Dead Waves only seemed to grow. More and more of the jellyfish-like shade's tendrils were sprouting from Jose's body, launching additional beams, making it harder for Aurelius to evade. The air felt heavier with each blast, the pressure mounting as the attacks seemed to come faster, forcing him to continuously dodge.

In one daring leap, Aurelius launched himself into the air, twisting in a mid-flight maneuver to avoid two Dead Waves that would've hit him dead on. He came down hard, rolling on the ground to regain his balance, only to be immediately forced to leap again. He'd barely dodged the next wave, but this time, the edge of his sword grazed the blast, sending a shockwave of energy up his arm. His body jolted from the impact, and pain shot through his side.

"Not good…" Aurelius hissed as the sting of the blast traveled up his arm. He could feel the pain of his body fighting the shock of the impact. He gritted his teeth, unwilling to show weakness. The Dead Waves had caused him more damage than he anticipated. His sword arm throbbed with the pain, but he couldn't let it slow him down.

With every step he took, more Dead Waves came at him—each one faster, more precise than the last. The jellyfish-like shade surrounding Jose wasn't just a passive defense; it had become an extension of him, actively joining the onslaught. Aurelius' mind raced for a solution.

In a split second, he saw an opening. One of the waves came in a straight line toward him, but it was slightly slower than the others. Aurelius hesitated for just a heartbeat, then with a quick pivot, he deflected the Dead Wave with his blade, the dark energy colliding with the edge of his sword and sending a sharp jolt through his body.

The force of the blow sent him sliding back a few feet, but the Dead Wave had been deflected. Aurelius barely caught his breath before he had to move again. He ducked under another wave, feeling the wind from its passing cut through his hair. But with that, he was forced to do the same again—this time, he blocked the blast with his sword again, the impact jarring his arm painfully. The force was too much for his body to ignore, and he staggered back a step.

"Damn it!" Aurelius hissed as he wiped the sweat from his brow, his arm aching from the repeated blows. He was starting to feel the strain—this wasn't just a battle of strength. It was a also test of endurance. And Jose… he was showing no signs of slowing down.

Jose's smug laugh echoed in the chaos. "Can you keep up, boy?" His voice dripped with cruel amusement.

Aurelius gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with determination.

But it was clear. The fight was pushing him to his limits.

As Aurelius continued to dodge the barrage of Dead Waves, his thoughts raced. "It will run out soon..." His eyes flickered with tension as he weaved and rolled, narrowly avoiding the dark beams. Every movement had to be calculated, every step planned, or else the consequences could be disastrous. He could feel it—the strain. The power of his Sense Alteration was beginning to wane. It wasn't that it wasn't effective; it was the toll it took on him. "Just a little longer…" he thought, but the realization sank in: the window of opportunity was closing.

He adjusted his stance, eyes narrowing as Jose's form, still protected by the jellyfish-like shade, flickered out of his vision for a split second. That brief opening was all Jose needed. With an explosive burst of speed, the dark wizard blitzed forward, moving faster than Aurelius could react.

"No..." Aurelius barely registered the movement before the punch came crashing toward him.

Thud.

The blow connected with his side, sending him spiraling backward. He stumbled, his breath escaping in a sharp gasp, and the impact sent him crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. For a moment, everything seemed to blur around him. He struggled to stay upright as his body screamed in protest.

"Did you think you could keep that up forever?" Jose's voice rang out, the cruel amusement dripping from his every word. "I can feel your energy waning. Your little tricks don't work on me anymore. The Sense Alteration has worn off, hasn't it?"

Aurelius gritted his teeth, rising slowly to his feet, though his body felt heavier with each movement. His breath was shallow, his muscles aching. He couldn't afford to show weakness, but inside, his mind was already calculating his next move. "It's out of time… I need a moment to recover before I can use it again."

With that thought in mind, Aurelius leapt back, away from the incoming attacks, and landed beside Mystogan, his senses heightened despite the strain. His pulse was racing, but he knew he couldn't afford to lose focus.

Mystogan looked at him, his expression unreadable beneath his mask. "Got any more ideas?"

Aurelius nodded, his voice low but firm. "I've got one. But... it might backfire. Be ready."

Mystogan didn't hesitate, his stance ready, his fingers gripping the stave with a newfound intensity. He knew that Aurelius had something more planned—something powerful. It was clear from the glint in his eyes.

Jose's laughter filled the air, a mocking, triumphant sound that made the hair on the back of Aurelius' neck stand up. "You two really think you have a chance? It's over. You should just bow down and accept your loss, now." His arms crossed over his chest as he sneered at the duo, clearly confident that his victory was inevitable.

Aurelius' face remained hard, unmoved by Jose's words. He exchanged a quick glance with Mystogan, who was standing silently, waiting for the signal. The air between them was thick with tension, both waiting for the perfect moment.

Then, without warning, Aurelius reached up, slowly, deliberately. He pulled the cloth from his face, exposing his other eye.

As the cloth fell away, his left eye was revealed—unlike any human eye. It was completely black, as though it had been swallowed by an endless abyss. The darkness of it was absolute, as if no light could escape or penetrate it. At the center of the void-like pupil, a single, eerie white dot gleamed—unblinking, unyielding.

The moment his eye was uncovered, the shadows around the room seemed to stir, as if they were drawn to its unsettling power. Even the space around him felt warped, like the world itself could no longer stay in its place under the weight of that eye.

Jose's confident smirk faltered for a brief moment as he stared at the strange, unnatural eye. His jellyfish-like shade that had been protecting him seemed to pulse uneasily, recoiling from the energy it could feel radiating from Aurelius.

The moment the cloth fell, the entire room seemed to grow heavier, more suffocating. The air itself felt thick, as if it had become charged with a power that couldn't be understood, let alone controlled. It was a force that reached beyond ordinary magic.

Aurelius' voice was quiet but firm. "This ends now."

Bonus Chapter:

79 more Power Stones for a bonus chapter.

Chapter Titles:

34: Shattered Reality

35: Into the Thunder

36: Demon's Fury