Jehfrit rarely engaged in close-quarters combat. In fact, he had virtually no experience with it at all!
This wasn't due to oversight but rather because he lacked any cheat-like abilities and his energy was limited.
The situation was dire.
Reluctantly, Jehfrit called for outside assistance.
'SWOOSH'
Without any visible movement—just as Lucy had been yanked back earlier—Jehfrit felt a sharp tug on his cloak. Someone unseen pulled him backward, narrowly avoiding Vade's lethal swipe!
Jehfrit quickly concealed himself again to prevent being relentlessly pursued by the enemy.
Vade scanned the area with his eyes, though it was futile.
Turning to his brother, Vade wondered why Reed hadn't provided their target's location.
Reed, meanwhile, was deep in thought and shock.
From behind a distant boulder, his three eyes widened in astonishment!
In that fleeting moment, he had seen it—albeit vaguely—a well-hidden figure rescuing the deceptive mage!
"Whew—"
He exhaled sharply, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions: awe, admiration, and an undercurrent of fear.
What a grand deceiver this man was!
His magic revolved around deception!
Even his cane was a trick, lulling others into a false sense of security before revealing a deadly weapon!
Moreover, despite appearing to fight alone, he had a hidden ally lurking in the shadows all along!
Yes!
Reed recalled their brief encounter on the street when the magician hadn't been on guard and hadn't layered multiple illusions.
At that time, Reed had noticed a faint distortion in space near the mage but dismissed it as some form of spatial magic.
Magic was magic, not sleight of hand—he'd intended to expose the trick then.
But now, looking back, he was grateful he hadn't!
Otherwise, without the barrier to contain him and Gad absent, angering such a formidable opponent would have meant certain death for them all!
As for the so-called "magic trick" where a card transformed into ice cream—
It was nothing more than handing the card off to an invisible assistant, who then gave him the ice cream!
This was it!
The truth about the deceptive mage!
Reed had unraveled all the key points!
He felt enlightened!
Though it terrified him, this realization came just in time!
Reed shouted.
"THERE ARE TWO OF THEM!!!"
"ONE IS HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS!"
"GAD, IT'S ALL AN ILLUSION!"
"YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO KNEEL THERE RESTING!"
"THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR YOU TO BE RECKLESS!"
"HURRY UP AND ATTACK THEM WITH VADE!"
Reed's chest heaved heavily.
They were facing...
A battle against one of the most powerful deception mages in the world!
Though an enemy, in this moment, Reed was deeply awestruck by Jehfrit's cunning and strategy!
How terrifying!
The more he thought about it, the more chilling it became!
If not for his ability to detect the enemy, he couldn't fathom what kind of strength it would take to survive against this man without being utterly crushed!
Gad? Far from qualified!
Deep down, in a part of his subconscious he wasn't even aware of, Reed had already begun to see himself, Vade, and Gad as challengers taking on a formidable and brilliant foe!
Excitement and fear flushed his face red as he poured all his magical energy into locking onto Jehfrit's position!
"Two people?" Vade tilted his head, baring his sharp teeth in a grin. "So that's how you dodged my attack with such a strange posture."
". . ."
Jehfrit unconsciously pressed his tongue against his upper teeth, grinding slightly—a rare, instinctive gesture. He too was taken aback by Reed's insight.
This guy is really smart.
He managed to uncover two-quarters of the truth.
Since joining Fairy Tail, Jehfrit hadn't encountered anyone who could deduce so much purely through guesswork.
Still...
Admiration aside, Jehfrit wouldn't waver in battle.
Reed had "exposed" him and was urging Gad to act.
Was he planning a three-on-one?
A good idea, but it was far too late.
Jehfrit silently manipulated his magic, targeting Gad's inner self—
Anger!
More anger!
Unrelenting fury!
And the suffocating weight of humiliation!
Finally, he urged Gad to cling fiercely to his pride, oh-so-arrogant Gad!
'CRACK'
Gad's mind, already fractured by Jehfrit's earlier manipulation of his anger, shattered completely under the assault!
His psyche collapsed, his emotions spiraled out of control, and he lost all capacity to resist!
Gad trembled violently, like someone afflicted with Parkinson's disease. His emotions now ruled his body, hormones surging uncontrollably, leaving his sense of self utterly destroyed!
Much like an ordinary person suddenly thrust into a fight, adrenaline flooding their system, they become irrational, trembling, and entirely dominated by emotion, their actions no longer under conscious control!
With a roar, Gad shoved Vade—who had saved his life—over ten meters away, screaming with bloodshot eyes, "Get away! I don't need anyone interfering in my fight! Or I'll kill you too!"
Rejected by Gad, Vade turned to Reed, who was equally stunned.
They'd never faced this situation before...
Gad either obliterated his enemies instantly or crushed them from start to finish.
Indeed, he'd never worked with Vade.
Reed had always known Gad was even prouder than himself. Once Gad took action, he didn't allow interference—if anyone dared step in, he'd kill them alongside the enemy!
But now, the situation was critical. If the three of them didn't unite, they'd be annihilated!
He never imagined Gad's pride could run so deep!
Reed's hesitation left Vade unsure whether to act, delaying their opportunity.
But perhaps it also prevented infighting.
After all, Gad truly looked like a deranged lunatic at that moment!
"You damned trickster! I'll kill you!!!" Gad charged furiously toward "Jehfrit."
Jehfrit raised his gun and fired.
The bullet hit its mark but lodged in Gad's muscle.
"Such tough meat," Jehfrit muttered.
"Your ten seconds are up," he told Gad. "Now let me do the counting."
"Ten."
'RUMBLE'
To Gad and Vade, the ground suddenly shook violently, tectonic plates shattering beneath them.
Struggling to keep their footing, they felt a sudden loss of gravity!
Looking down, they saw molten lava below, its scorching heat rushing toward them!
They plummeted toward the magma lake along with the crumbling earth!
Instinctively, both Gad and Vade crouched low, ready to leap off the fragment to escape danger.
Even knowing it was an illusion, how could anyone resist their instincts when confronted with such vivid threats?
The overwhelming realism forced even the strongest individuals to react instinctively—it was ingrained in human DNA to trust their senses!
And yet, when facing Jehfrit as an enemy, this very trust would lead to their downfall!
"Nine." Jehfrit switched to "Gust," flying closer to Vade. Raising Hani high, he slashed toward the boy's neck, covered in bite marks!
"Damn it!" Reed shouted in alarm.
Though he'd coldly stated that Vade's death would reflect his lack of strength, logically speaking, if Vade died, only one-armed Gad and himself would remain—an easy massacre!
Vade couldn't die!
Reed had planned to use his own ability at the last possible moment.
But...
He had to protect Vade!
Suddenly, Jehfrit felt a heavy weight press down on him. The surrounding magical energy grew chaotic, and his strength diminished significantly.
"Hmm?"
Before the confusion could fully register, Jehfrit immediately withdrew his blade and retreated!