In Racer's sight, Ken and Gray whispered a few words to each other. Whatever they discussed quickly turned into a heated argument, voices rising, insults exchanged.
Finally, Gray turned around with an angry snort and stalked off.
Racer sneered coldly, stepping out from the shadows. Appearing suddenly before Ken, he taunted:
"What's wrong? You weaklings can't even stay united before the fight begins?"
Ken frowned, his expression filled with disgust as he spat:
"That half-naked idiot... I told him over and over the Six Demon Generals were closing in, but he wouldn't listen. Whatever. I alone am enough to crush you."
As he spoke, the magic of the Storm Dragon gathered behind him, forming vast, glowing wings. The wind howled, tearing through the forest as Ken charged first.
"Tch. Pathetic."
Racer's mouth twisted into a scornful grin.
At the moment of collision, his body blurred and vanished.
"What—!?"
Ken froze, his mouth hanging open in exaggerated shock.
Racer's voice echoed mockingly from all directions:
"Your eyes are too slow to see me."
"Death Rush: Hell Circuit!"
From the ground beneath him, scarlet magic circles burst open — and from the light roared forth a monstrous, sharp-edged motorcycle, the design brutal and aggressive, colors of black and crimson.
Racer mounted the machine in one fluid motion.
"Try and keep up, if you can survive long enough."
With a deafening roar, he kicked the motorcycle into high speed, tearing around Ken at a speed impossible to track with the naked eye. Each lap stirred up deadly gales that shredded grass and uprooted nearby saplings.
Ken narrowed his eyes.
His speed... even higher than I thought.
Not wasting another second, Ken activated another Dragon Slayer crystal — this time, thunder magic surged alongside storm magic, electricity dancing wildly across his body.
The power of the Thunder Dragon intertwined with the Storm Dragon.
At last, Racer noticed the change.
"Oh? You want to dance with death at full speed?"
Racer accelerated again, his bike flashing toward a distant cliff, only to swerve back at the last possible moment, mocking Ken without words.
But Ken kept pursuit — gaining ground.
"Hmph. You can keep up for now. Let's see for how long."
With a flicker of magic, Racer abandoned his motorcycle mid-ride, disappearing into the nearby woods, reappearing atop the highest tree branch, his arms crossed as he glared down at Ken.
Floating midair, Ken faced him steadily with his storm wings.
"Finally, some entertainment."
"Your fun ends here," Ken said calmly. "Your magic's burning fast. You don't have enough left to run anymore."
Racer's smirk faded slightly.
"What...?"
Then — a chill down his spine.He looked up.
Above the forest, massive ice cages hovered in the mist, arranged like a giant trap, covering the sky.
And he was standing directly beneath them.
"Tch. You think you can catch me with a trick like that?" Racer scoffed.
Ken said nothing. He simply pointed behind him.
Racer turned sharply — and spotted Gray, perched on a distant tree, both hands already weaving thick streams of freezing mist.
"Another one? Hmph."
"You got it right," Ken said indifferently. "Gray, do it!"
At the command, Gray unleashed his magic.
Dozens of ice cages fused into one gigantic construct, crashing down from above like a meteor!
"Ice Make: Prison!!"
"You'll never catch—"
BOOM!
The prison slammed into him, engulfing Racer completely as it crushed the branches beneath.
Ken descended, wings retracting, surveying the scene calmly.
Inside the translucent ice, Racer struggled — but it was clear.No matter how much he strained, he couldn't break free.
"Impossible," Racer muttered, his breath fogging the cold glass. "My speed... it's absolute...!"
Ken shook his head, almost pitying him.
"No. Your magic doesn't actually make you faster. It distorts time perception for others — making them seem slower."
"In reality, you're no faster than an average high-level wizard."
Racer's teeth ground together.
At that moment, Gray approached, hands behind his head casually.
"We figured it out from the beginning," Gray said smugly. "Ken saw your magic had a range limit. That's why I stayed far enough back — unaffected — while setting the trap."
Ken added with a lazy grin:
"While you were busy showing off your 'unbeatable speed'... we were already closing the net."
Realization hit Racer like a thunderbolt.
They played me from the start.
Furious, Racer slammed fists and feet against the ice, roaring:
"Dirty cowards! You call this a fair fight!?"
Ken chewed a piece of bark nonchalantly, spitting it out as he replied:
"Save it. If we weren't trying to take you alive, you would've been buried already."
Racer stiffened.
"Alive? What for...?"
Ken's grin sharpened.
"When the six prayers disappear, the true leader of the Six Demon Generals — Zero — will awaken. Right?"
Racer's eyes widened in shock.
"How the hell do you know that—!?"
"You don't need to worry about it," Ken said, waving his hand lazily. "All you need to do is stay nice and frozen."
Understanding the cue, Gray unleashed another surge of ice magic, further thickening the prison until it became a frozen fortress.
The freezing temperature numbed Racer's body, locking even his mouth into silence before he could curse them again.
Minutes later, the entire structure was a shining, solid block.
Ken kicked the surface twice for good measure.
"Sturdy enough?"
Gray nodded, giving a thumbs-up.
Without hesitation, Ken hoisted the ice prison onto his back and started walking away.
Though completely immobilized, Racer's mind remained sharp.
And racing.
This guy... Ken... he wasn't part of the original guild coalition! We underestimated him... completely.
But how—how the hell does he know the secret of the Six Demon Generals?!
(Next Chapter: Smoke Over the Gas Tree Sea)