Even though devoid of knowledge concerning the Borrowed Might potions' intricacies, the Sages understood their limitations.
They initially chose to safeguard the Rankers before refocusing their efforts on a foe they believed they could overcome collectively.
This was the governing factor behind their decision-making process. Eren had subtly given them false hope by drinking the Borrowed Might Potions in front of them before extinguishing their lives.
The Sages from both sides had been locked in battle before Eren's intervention. Even without leaving their positions, they were already grappling with fatigue and significant mana expenditure.
This was the reason why Eren wanted to halt executing the Lazarus Project unless and until the Sage-ranked entities from both sides got involved with each other.
Had the Sages foreseen that these seemingly minor factors would culminate to enable Eren to eradicate them all at once, they would never have prioritized the safety of the Rankers on the battlefield.
***
"Aaaaaah!"
Garos managed to kill another of Eren's clones, but the cost this time was higher.
Sage Yuffie Loxley's treasured dagger remained embedded in his heart, spreading the uncontrollable Foreign Mana Invasion.
As the lifeless Sages fell from the sky, Eren's clones swiftly caught them. These S-Ranked individuals, now devoid of life, were delivered to the ground before the shocked Rankers.
'Myriad elements, multiple classes, overpowering Individuality. That damn mirror. And most of all, devious nature. This man... he's a catastrophe incarnate, a living and breathing disaster. Only chaos would spread in Anfang if he is not killed.'
Garos thought to himself as he tried to comprehend the unfolding events. He considered fleeing from this opponent, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was even possible, given Eren's possession of the Sansara Sage's inheritance.
Garos had transcended shock; he couldn't fathom how one Ranker could master so many Ranking Classes and wield multiple Elemental Attainments so flawlessly. Even the legendary Titan Slayers from the Calamity Era seemed less extraordinary in comparison.
***
Swoosh. Zoom. Chop.
As soon as his clone was killed, Eren materialized right behind Garos, severing his last arm. Before Garos could recover from his previous injuries or react to this new assault, Eren relentlessly assaulted him with Unlimited Weapon Works.
Life Drain + Expedited Regeneration +Instant Reset + Hero's Heart + Partial Shapeshifting
Unlike the other Sages, Eren couldn't use a debuff potion on Garos Renar due to the Sage's elusiveness and distant nature. So he couldn't employ Myriad Potioning as he had with the others. Thus, he had only considered Garos to be the only real threat he had to his plans.
Eren relentlessly bombarded Garos with spells and continuously caught him off guard with his trump cards until finally bringing an end to the Sage. His Spirit beast effectively neutralized Garos' counterattacks.
Eren's meticulous preparations paid off, and his well-timed tactics removed all the obstacles that would have hindered his upcoming plans.
***
Ultimately, Garos met the same fate as the five Sages previously dispatched by Eren's clones, deprived of any opportunity to defend themselves.
As Eren tightened his grip around Garos' neck, he remarked in a cold and merciless tone, "Tch. Tch. Tch. The famed King's Hand is now without arms in his death." Before Garos could utter his last words, Eren silenced him by crushing his neck.
Eren then used his other hand to squash Garos' head. With enough pressure applied post mortem, it burst like a water balloon.
Eren's vengeful spirit remained steadfast throughout his Ranking Journey, evident in the way he executed Garos, mirroring the Sage's previous actions against his clone.
By this point, even Avalon, who had witnessed this unexpected Sage hunt, realized that Eren could wield Shallot's Mirror more effectively than his clan's ancestor, Shallot Lancelot.
'Is that… Is that how we were supposed to use that mirror?' Avalon cursed. He recognized that there was more to the artifact than their records indicated.
If Avalon or any other House Lancelot member had known that Shallot's Mirror could be used this way, they would never have allowed it to be relegated to a mere tool for artifact creation within Baelin's smithy.
If any of their Sages had harnessed its potential in the same manner as Eren, they might have had the means to suppress Edinburgh's royalty. Even someone like Garos wouldn't have posed much of a threat to them.
***
All this chaos had taken just one minute to subside. Yet, the impact was enough to haunt the Rankers witnessing Eren's actions for many years to come.
Eren held Garos' armless body and descended towards Argo, who miraculously still clung to life. None of the onlookers dared to intervene or confront Eren and his clones. While the effects of the Borrowed Might potions were fading, no one wanted to risk challenging Eren and discovering how long he could continue to wield their power.
"Hey, boss, you did it," Argo weakly congratulated Eren as he gazed at him. Eren sat down cross-legged beside Argo. Ignoring Argo's comment, Eren spoke with a serious tone, "Is… is there anything we can do to help you in this situation? I..." His voice trailed off as he observed Argo's frail condition.
Eren sensed that something was suppressing Argo's soul, rendering him incapable of using his powers. In different circumstances, healing from the severe injuries he was currently suffering wouldn't have been so challenging for him. He only needed to use his devouring Abilities on the Rankers surrounding him to achieve complete recovery.
"No, boss," Argo replied, his voice weary.
"The moment I ignited Beelzebub's soul fragment, my fate was sealed. It appears that Anfang's World Will no longer accept my presence here.
I... I gotta leave this place before I die for real, you know. I was only holding on till now to… to see you," Argo continued, his breaths labored.
As a soul fragment of Beelzebub, Argo possessed immortality. His physical body was the only part deteriorating. Beelzebub could reclaim his own soul fragment that was Argo before it dispersed.
Then, the Demon Prince of Gluttony could send this soul fragment to other realms, starting Argo's journey anew.
