Chapter 45 : Haki!!

"But the one who cast the curse this time is the moon! Kyros, are you going to destroy the moon?!" Natsu's expression was animated, effortlessly grasping the guy's intentions.

He seemed to contemplate crashing into the moon to shatter it into pieces.

"Are you out of your mind?"

While many power systems in various worlds tend to escalate, it's not like in Naruto, where one could conjure up stones to form a moon or anything.

No matter how eccentric he might be, he wouldn't dare to collide with the moon or anything of the sort.

Kyros suggested, "It's getting late; let's rest early. If there's anything else, we can deal with it tomorrow."

"Alright! Then we'll explore the island tomorrow! Let's hit the sack for today!!" Natsu promptly flopped onto the quilt.

"Happy" followed suit with a cheerful, "Okay~!"

"Indeed, let's think about it tomorrow." Gray reclined on his pillow as well.

Rubbing her eyes, Lucy chimed in, "Yeah, I'm feeling sleepy too. Time to hit the hay."

Before long, the room resonated with snoring, but Lucy suddenly sat up with wide eyes, protesting, "Why are we sharing a room? How am I supposed to sleep like this!!"

With four occupants in the room—three men and one girl—it felt rather odd.

Early the next morning, Lucy, who had barely managed to catch any sleep, roused the others, and they set out to explore the island together.

"S-level! S-level! S-level! As expected of an S-level mission, it's got my blood pumping!!" Despite taking a beating from Kyros, Natsu's spirits were high again after just one night.

The prospect of tackling an S-rank mission had Natsu buzzing with excitement.

"Hey! Can you keep it down? We don't know what's lurking in this forest. It wouldn't be good to attract something dangerous," Lucy cautioned, her Celestial Spirit resembling a clock echoing her words.

Natsu waved his fist defiantly, retorting, "Humph! Bring it on! If anything dares to come at us, we'll knock it down."

"Curse is a serious matter, she warned."

"What's there to fear? If it's cursed, just freeze it, problem solved," Gray shrugged off the curse.

"You guys are hopeless."

"Kyros..." Lucy addressed Kyros.

Frowning, Kyros remarked, "Something is approaching."

Gray and Natsu also sensed the impending presence.

"Okay?"

"What?"

"Watch out--!"

A gargantuan mouse, about ten meters tall and clad in a maid's attire, materialized abruptly before a group of onlookers.

"A mouse!!"

"So enormous--!!"

Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy were all taken aback.

The colossal mouse charged toward them without hesitation.

Kyros's eyes narrowed, his tone frigid. "Step aside!!"

"Om--!!"

An unseen, imperious aura emanated from Kyros's being.

The giant mouse froze suddenly, gazing at Kyros in horror, as though beholding the most dreadful sight imaginable, sweat dripping from its brow.

"Squeak!!!" it squealed, then turned tail and bolted.

"Alright... that was impressive..." Though Lucy had witnessed many of Kyros's theatrically grand actions, she couldn't help but marvel at his prowess.

Lucy inquired of Kyros, "Kyros, what sort of magic was that?"

Natsu, Gray, and Happy all fixed their gaze upon Kyros. While they didn't comprehend the specifics of Kyros's magic, they could sense the formidable strength within him.

"Since you're curious, allow me to explain. What I wield isn't magic per se, but rather something akin to it."

"I utilize Haki, a form of energy akin to magic but distinct in its nature. It can be categorized into three main types."

"The first is Observation Haki, which sharpens one's senses, enabling the detection of nearby beings' auras and emotional fluctuations. It also grants the ability to anticipate and evade danger, akin to Perception Magic. For instance, I discerned your and Natsu's presence in the village thanks to my Observation Haki."

"I see!"

"Impressive!"

Natsu and Gray exchanged looks, slightly taken aback. As combat wizards of Fairy Tail, they grasped the potency of Kyros's described ability to "see."

"However, my proficiency in Haki is still nascent. Stronger practitioners can foresee immediate future events."

"Foresee the future?!!"

"The second type is Armament Haki." Kyros demonstrated, enveloping his right arm in Armament Haki, causing it to darken.

"The arm has changed color!"

"Armament Haki, it's quite straightforward. It allows you to enhance both your defense and attack capabilities. 'Hardening' is its most fundamental application."

Kyros nonchalantly struck the tree beside him.

"Crack!" The tree split down the middle under Kyros's blow.

"With partial hardening, one becomes nearly invulnerable. Ordinary magical attacks won't even scratch you. Additionally, one can create a protective barrier using Armament Haki to defend against enemy assaults."

"Incredible strength!"

"The third is Conqueror's Haki, capable of intimidating and incapacitating foes. It can also be imbued into weapons or attacks to amplify their power, delivering substantial damage to enemies even from a distance where physical contact is impossible."

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