That Day When Suzuki-kun Wasn't the Mob-B! Chapter 465: The Archangel's Awakening (Patreon)

"Reinvigorate."

As the single word left Finn's lips, a gentle, brilliant light washed over the ruined plaza. In an instant, the deep gashes, shattered bones, and fading stamina of every fallen mage in his line of sight were miraculously healed.

"Thank you, boss!"

Tears of absolute relief streamed down the faces of everyone as they pulled themselves up from the rubble.

"Chief!" Lahar, Doranbolt, and the surviving members of the Magic Council scrambled forward, immediately bowing their heads in profound respect.

"Don't waste your time bowing to me. Go help the civilians," Finn commanded, his voice cutting through the chaotic roar of the battlefield. "Focus entirely on evacuation. Leave the fighting to my team, because right now, you are nothing but a burden. However..." Finn shifted his gaze to the Poison Dragon Slayer. "You. Go support the others fighting the dragons. Your magic is the only thing that actually works."

"Right!" Erik grunted, smoothly playing along and pretending he didn't already take orders directly from Finn. Without a second thought, he darted off toward the frontline.

"Now, move!"

"Yes, sir!"

Lahar immediately mobilized his unit, knowing full well that Finn's command on the battlefield was absolute. Doranbolt hesitated for a fraction of a second. Deep down, he hated feeling so powerless. If they stayed, what use could they possibly be? Their powers were entirely meaningless against the ancient beasts. All they could do was ferry survivors to safety.

"...Are we really that useless?" Doranbolt muttered, his fists clenching helplessly at his sides.

"Unless you wield Dragon Slayer Magic, any spell you cast on those beasts is completely meaningless," Finn stated, catching Doranbolt's whisper. "Of course, if you possess the raw physical strength to beat a dragon to death with your bare hands without relying on magic, that works too."

Doranbolt fell silent. Was there a single mortal on the continent capable of overpowering a dragon purely with physical strength? Absolutely not. Swallowing his bitter pride, Doranbolt turned and sprinted after Lahar's squad.

As the Council members fled, Finn couldn't resist a final, quiet jab at their retreating backs. "When this is all over, I expect a full report on Jellal Fernandes. You did manage to catch him after utilizing all of my facilities, right?"

Lahar and Doranbolt flinched, choosing to remain completely silent as they disappeared into the smoke.

With the Council out of the way, Finn turned his attention back to the grim reality of the battlefield. Only the Dragon Slayers—Natsu, Gajeel, Laxus, Wendy, Sting, Rogue, and Erik—had any hope of inflicting lasting damage. Even then, pushing back the horde was simply impossible!

There were currently six dragons left.

The moment Finn had effortlessly decapitated the Dark Dragon, the suffocating atmosphere of despair had fractured, replaced by a desperate, roaring hope. Yet, the remaining beasts were far from defeated.

Following Finn's implicit orders, Erik bolted through the ruins, zeroing in on Wendy. Of all the Dragon Slayers, the young Sky Mage desperately needed the most backup.

"Poison Dragon's Roar!"

Erik unleashed a devastating torrent of toxic smog, blasting the dragon back as he landed firmly beside Wendy. "Let me help you out, kid!"

"T-Thank you!" Wendy gasped, leaning heavily on her knees. She glanced gratefully at Kinana, Erik's lover, who had bravely stayed behind to support the frontline. Wendy knew Erik was really here to protect Kinana, but it didn't matter. She needed all the help she could get against this specific monster.

Zirconis.

Known as the Jade Dragon, he was not only terrifyingly strong, but also perverted.

"Jade Dragon's Roar!"

Zirconis unleashed a sweeping blast of magical energy. The shockwave didn't destroy the buildings; instead, it completely disintegrated Kinana's clothes, leaving her entirely exposed in the middle of the battlefield.

"Kyaaa!"

"YOU DEAD LIZARD BASTARD!" Erik roared in absolute, murderous fury, his poison magic flaring violently as he launched himself at the dragon's face.

Wendy let out a quiet, awkward sigh of relief that she hadn't been caught in the blast.

Meanwhile, in another district, the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth were pushed to their absolute limits. Sting and Rogue had split their focus, facing two dragons simultaneously: Scissor Runner and Levia.

"White Dragon's Roar!"

"Shadow Dragon's Roar!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Sting and Rogue's combined breath attacks collided mid-air with the deafening roars of their opponents. Scissor Runner, a beast with a bladed, scissor-like head capable of cleaving through anything, relentlessly charged Sting. Meanwhile, Levia, a massive, serpentine aquatic dragon, slithered through the air, bombarding Rogue with devastating, high-pressure water blasts.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!

"Dammit!"

"Is there even a way to pierce those scales?!"

"Keep pushing, Sting! Rogue!"

The allied mages cheered from the sidelines, completely helpless but refusing to abandon the front lines. Despite their accumulating injuries, Sting and Rogue repeatedly forced themselves back to their feet, their pride refusing to let them fall.

On the other side of Crocus, Laxus—despite running on fumes after his brutal confrontation with Finn—was fighting alongside the remnants of Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus.

"Come on, Laxus!"

"Your lightning is the only thing doing any damage!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Laxus roared, calling down massive pillars of lightning upon Motherglare. The Diamond Dragon was a walking fortress of adamantine scales, but worse than her defense was her ability to spawn hundreds of small, vicious parasitic dragons that swarmed the streets.

While Laxus focused all of his destructive power on Motherglare, the remaining guild members fought desperately to cull the endless tide of hatchlings.

"Dark Handsome Rush!"

Ichiya had completely transformed. Buffed by his strongest perfumes into a towering muscular powerhouse, he unleashed a flurry of devastating physical strikes, crushing the parasitic hatchlings to carve a path for Laxus.

Not far away, Gajeel was fighting his own brutal war of attrition with the support of the Lamia Scale.

"I'm going to beat the shit out of you and scrap you for parts, you overgrown lizard!"

Gajeel screamed, his arms shifting into massive iron broadswords. He hurled himself relentlessly at the Rock Dragon. The heavily armored beast was composed of virtually impenetrable stone, using its crushing weight and earth-based magical shields to shrug off almost everything Gajeel threw at it.

Yet, without a doubt, Natsu was facing the most insurmountable nightmare of them all.

Atlas Flame.

The dragon's entire body was composed of literal hellfire. Physical attacks were useless; touching him meant instant incineration.

"Natsu, go!"

"Don't let him push you back, Natsu!"

"Give it everything you have!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Natsu was fighting entirely alone, pushed far beyond his physical limits. The only reason he was surviving was his ability to eat the dragon's flames to replenish his magical core. Yet, while his magic resisted the heat, his human body simply couldn't withstand the catastrophic kinetic impacts of the beast's movements.

"I won't let you hurt anyone!" Natsu roared, launching himself into the inferno.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Atlas Flame swung its massive tail, the sheer force of the blow swatting Natsu out of the sky like a fly.

The earth violently shook as Natsu cratered into the cobblestones. The impact shattered his ribs and stole the breath from his lungs. Paralyzed by the pain, Natsu could only watch as the colossal, burning titan reared back, preparing to unleash a final, city-leveling roar to finish him off.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

But just as Atlas Flame opened its maw, a blinding, holy aura suddenly erupted from the center of the capital. The light was so pure, so overwhelmingly absolute, that it washed over the entire city of Crocus, freezing every single combatant in their tracks. Even the ancient dragons paused, their primal instincts overwhelmed by a sudden, terrifying pressure.

"Angel Soul: Michael."

The calm, resonant voice echoed effortlessly across the battlefield.

High above the burning ruins, a figure materialized within the pillar of holy light, piercing the suffocating darkness that had blanketed the kingdom. Twelve magnificent, ethereal wings unfurled into the night sky. Clad in a divine, golden aura that radiated an indescribable warmth and absolute authority, he hovered above the destruction like a god descending upon the mortal realm.

"Finn..."

Suspended in the heavens, Finn cast his gaze down upon the ancient dragons. In that single, moment, he became the ultimate symbol of hope, completely obliterating the world's despair.