Chapter 101: The Defense of Magnolia (Part 2)

Under such extensive ice sealing, the once cold air instantly turned scorching, making it hard to breathe. 

The ice covering the lake began to melt as the incoming spiky icy thorns, softened by the heat, lost their sharp, ripping edge when colliding with the ship, producing dull thuds.

Observing the scene, Ur did not hesitate. She concentrated his Magic Power in both hands and aimed at Kain Hikaru, who was hovering while manipulating the hot air: "Ice Make: Infinite Blade Leaf!"

From the frozen lake, clusters of icy trees sprouted. Dense ice leaves were hurled outward, forming a massive whirlwind of spinning ice blades that charged toward the sliding Dark Guild fleet.

Hovering in the sky, Kain Hikaru raised his palm as the heat in his hand coalesced and uttered: "Hell Steam...."

Whoosh! 

A dark figure burst out from behind.

Zancrow leaped over Kain Hikaru with a fierce expression. Encased in the shield released by Hades, he looked toward Gaal Brons in the distance on the frozen lake: "Gaal Brons!"

At that hateful roar, Zancrow's hands ignited with endless black flames. The burning fire engulfing them was raised high above his head, merging in an instant into a huge black fireball nearly a hundred meters in diameter:

"Fire God's ... Kagutsuchi !!! Die already!!!"

Boom! 

The enormous black fireball was hurled forth, ignoring the towering whirlwind composed of icy leaves as it shot straight in the direction of where Gaal was.

Seeing Zancrow's move, Kain Hikaru lowered his hand and said:

"Really, you never say a word before striking." 

"However, Zancrow's flames are particularly effective against ice-type mages. Why not let him deal with Ur instead?"

Zancrow's endless black flame possessed a temperature even higher than Dragon's Flame and burned with an unquenchable quality— even an ice block touched by it would be consumed like kindling. Yet in an instant, Kain shook his head:

"No, no. Gaal Brons that little brat is more tenacious than anyone. It's best to have Zancrow handle him."

Muttering to himself, Kain looked up and suddenly widened his eyes:

"Hiss---!" 

"Sure enough, we should let Zancrow handle it!"

The enormous black fireball sped directly toward the incoming whirlwind of ice blades. 

Just as the two forces were about to collide, Gaal flashed into view before the massive fireball. Facing the oncoming fireball and the relentlessly approaching tornado behind him, Gaal raised his right hand.

Between his index and middle fingers, he held a blank card—and with a twist of his wrist, its front faced the oncoming black fireball: "Fire Seal!"

The blank card, clutched between Gaal's fingers, burst forth with radiant light and floated. 

Though all around appeared normal, the hundred-meter black fireball began to twist and deform bizarrely as these two vastly mismatched forces collided.

The next second—a strong burst of light flashed—and the massive black fireball in the sky vanished. 

In its place, a card imprinted with a pattern of black flames lingered in the air until, at Gaal's mental command, it fell into his hand.

Then Gaal activated his ability. 

Whoosh! 

He vanished from the sky and reappeared behind the whirlwind of ice blades. 

The enormous tornado of ice blades swept forward.

On the opposing side, Zancrow—whose flames had been sealed—looked stunned for a moment before erupting in rage: "What the hell?!"

Again, Zancrow's hands ignited with endless black flames as he assumed a throwing stance: "Flame God's Arrow!!!"

Giant arrows composed of endless black flame were launched from both sides by Zancrow.

This time, he did not target just Gaal; instead, they were fired indiscriminately, with most trajectories aimed directly at the children on the opposite shore. 

The towering whirlwind of ice blades shattered under the penetrating barrage of several Flame God's Arrows.

The Dark Guild members merely felt a sudden onslaught of icy, snowy winds—and that was all. Witnessing it, they began shouting in admiration and cheering for Zancrow. 

Unmoved by the crowd's clamor, Zancrow summoned flames at his feet. Like a rocket, he shot straight toward Gaal.

Watching Zancrow's assault, Gaal first swept his hand in front of him. 

Blank cards materialized out of thin air, hovering before him. 

At the command of his will, they each sought their target, intercepting the massive black flaming arrows. The flash of light created by the blank cards and the giant arrows left nothing but the cards floating in the air. 

Seeing the approaching Zancrow, Gaal gathered his cards back between his fingers, aimed the one that had sealed the "Fire God's Kagutsuchi" directly at Zancrow, and with a twist of his wrist, fired it.

Boom!!! 

A hundred-meter giant black fireball suddenly appeared. 

But this time, the target of the fireball was Zancrow.

On the ice behind the Guild, watching as those cards nonchalantly sealed the attack, Sho's heart raced with excitement: "Awesome!!! When will I be able to become as cool as Gaal, big brother?!"

Because his magic was card sealing magic, Cana watched the scene with eyes sparkling like stars. No wonder Gaal said she could learn some of Sho's card magic—it was truly…

"So cool!"

However, over at Ur's, she said gravely: "Prepare for battle."

The brief skirmish had already sent the ships sliding across the ice. 

Ur turned toward Ultear and ordered: "Ultear, keep an eye on them."

Ultear, a bit distracted at first, snapped into focus and replied: "I know." 

Yet her eyes continued to sweep around Kain Hikaru's vicinity, still searching for the person she longed to see. 

Had Meredy not come? That might be for the best… 

Even as Ultear exhaled a sigh of relief, anxiety gnawed at her. Her sudden disappearance would undoubtedly be a huge blow to Meredy, who remained in the Grimoire Heart Guild.

Torn between worrying that Meredy would resent her upon meeting and her desperate need to rescue Meredy from that place, she remained unsettled.

At that moment, on the ship at the head of the sliding fleet from the opposite side, Kain Hikaru looked skyward. There, Zancrow had been blasted back by his own technique, and an ominous premonition surged within him, causing cold sweat to break out instantly. 

Previously, in the Rock Mountain Range, Zancrow had already been tormented by his own move.

Combined with the recent counterattack and the sheer number of Flame God's Arrows Zancrow had fired, Kain's face turned grim. Muttering a curse at Zancrow's idiocy, he shouted loudly: "Hurry! Abandon ship!"

Everyone was startled by his command. 

Jump ship at a time like this? There were still several hundred meters to go. 

Exchanging anxious glances, Kain noticed that the cards sealing the Flame God's Arrows in the enemy air had already begun reorienting. He realized he wasn't mistaken—Gaal Brons, that bastard, would definitely use this trick! 

Could he not come up with something new?!

Cursing under his breath yet daring not to linger, Kain roared: "Hurry, jump!"

After saying this, Kain himself leapt from the ship, landing on the ice. Using the momentum from his slide, he activated: "Self-Enhancement: Light Source Body!"

A flash of dazzling golden light erupted, and Kain transformed into a golden meteor.

kimming along the ice, he charged toward the members of Fairy Tail on the opposing side.

Seeing this, Ur pressed both hands onto the ice. 

Giant walls of ice suddenly erupted, spreading outward from the surface. 

Boom, boom, boom, boom! 

The outermost ice wall was smashed open, followed immediately by a second and then a third, with barely a pause between each. Ur's expression changed: "Such incredible speed."

Ice-knife boots materialized at her feet. Watching the direction from which Kain, now a streak of golden light, was coming, he stepped forward to intercept.

Suddenly, from inside the Guild a thick, potent demonic aura rose. 

A dark shadow exuding an aura of evil flashed past those nearby, charging straight toward the golden trail that was Kain. 

Boom! 

The final ice wall was shattered, leaving a large cavernous gap.

Bursting through the breach, Kain glanced at the members of Fairy Tail, ready to attack. 

A dark shadow then hurtled toward him.

Without time to think, Kain raised his hand—shimmering with golden light—and declared: "Flash: Mighty Push Palm!"

He thrust his hand against the oncoming shadow. 

Boom!!! 

With an enormous crash, the ice beneath Kain—stretching for several hundred meters—cracked and split into a dense web of fissures.

Kain's legs were already half-buried in the ice, but he had no time to worry about that.

Staring in shock at the dark figure now fully revealed before him, he managed to choke out:

"No way?" 

"This guy..."

He noted that the figure's face was reminiscent of Seilah's, complete with a pair of large horns and a third eye between its brows.

The only difference was that this figure wore the demonic armor of Kyoka and boasted a physique even more explosive than Seilah's.

Kain was completely dumbfounded. 

Hadn't the demons from Tartaros all retreated by now? Moreover, with an explosion of that magnitude, no intact object could possibly remain. 

What on earth is this? Did its soul flee, leaving only the body behind? 

Who exactly is the Dark Mage? 

A respectable Guild mage resorting to curses and demon magic—this is even slicker than anything from the Dark Guild. 

Clearly, this guy was yet another one of Gaal Brons' devious schemes. After all, the only demons interacting with Fairy Tail were those from Gaal's previous siege.

"Damn it... I'm going to report this! Are the people at the Magic Council blind?! Is this really the work of a Light Mage?! He's meddling with demons! Is no one going to do anything?!"

Kain raged inwardly. 

Though he belonged to the Dark Guild, he neither practiced Dark Magic nor summoned demons himself. 

But what the hell is Gaal Brons up to? Not to mention his malicious curse magic—now he's even controlling demons? 

Just by attaching the name of Light Guild, can he really do whatever he pleases?! 

Where is the sense of justice?!

However, the demon on the opposing side showed no such concerns. Locked in a standoff with Kain, it spoke calmly: "Self-enhancement."

Then, a soft green cursed energy began to emanate from its entire being, steadily boosting its inner power.