Page 471 of Axis of Fire

"And since I still have no idea what your magic actually does..." I swallowed, trying to catch another breath. "Could your scorpion trap that thing in some kind of web?"

Taylor answered only with a skeptical glance.

"I don't use my magic like that."

His eyes swept across the forest around us, searching for something.

I, on the other hand, failed to notice the cursed branch lying across the ground.

My foot caught on it.

I flew right over it and landed flat on my backside in something cold and sticky.

Damn it.

Scarab Tree resin.

Once it caught you, it was almost impossible to get free.

"Damn," Taylor muttered, stopping abruptly as he stepped in front of me.

The blue, crystal-like creature kept advancing while he calmly surveyed the area.

He raised one hand.

The scorpion crawled across his shoulder and along his outstretched arm, as though analyzing something.

Then—

an invisible wall appeared in front of the monster.

It slammed into it with tremendous force.

"I can hold it for a little while," Taylor said. "But I can't stop it. Get yourself out of that resin. We don't have much time."

"Easy for you to say."

I grimaced, feeling my backside hopelessly glued to the ground.

At this point, the only way out seemed to be leaving my pants behind.

And there was no way in hell I was about to run around in my underwear in front of all twelve worlds.

"Could you... lend me your jacket?" I asked as I started unbuttoning my pants.

"I would," he said, "but I can't while Erza's still on it."

I let out a heavy sigh.

"Then I'll have to drop the barrier."

As I struggled free of my pants, I tried to shove aside every terrifying possibility waiting for me after the Selection.

Suddenly, Taylor doubled over.

The invisible wall shuddered.

Then began to recede.