Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

Several people quickly ascended the stairs to the upper levels of the ruins.

Upon reaching the top floor, they discovered that the moonlight streaming down originated from yet another hole in the ceiling, this one piercing through the entire structure.

When they emerged at the very top, they saw a gathering not far away. A group of people, dressed as though part of some secretive cult, stood in a circle. Each figure wore thick garments, their faces obscured, and they chanted an incomprehensible incantation while moonlight from the sky was funneled into a beam directed downward.

"They're actually collecting moonlight!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What are they trying to do with all that light focused on Deliora?" Lucy asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Could they be trying to resurrect that demon?" Natsu speculated.

Gray's expression darkened, and he quickly denied it. "Impossible! The ice won't melt—it's absolute!"

Su Yan's ears twitched. "Someone's approaching. We'll know what they're planning soon enough."

Moments later, four figures appeared. Three of them were the ones they had encountered earlier in the cave: Yuka, Toby, and Sherry. The fourth, a man in a blue coat and a helmet adorned with horns, exuded an air of authority.

"Damn it, I didn't sleep during the day, and now I'm exhausted," Toby groaned. "And we still haven't found those intruders."

"Are there really intruders?" Yuka asked, skeptical.

Sherry gave a theatrical sigh. "It's such a tragic thing, Lord Zero. We did encounter intruders earlier, but they escaped before I could show them my love."

The man referred to as 'Lord Zero' turned to the others. "Intruders, you say? How goes the preparation for Deliora's resurrection?"

Gray froze at the sound of his voice. His eyes widened in disbelief. That voice… it can't be…

Sherry replied cheerfully, "At this pace, either tonight or tomorrow night, the ice around Deliora will melt, and he will rise again."

Lucy covered her mouth, horrified. "They really are trying to resurrect Deliora!"

Lord Zero's lips curled into a smirk. "That's excellent news. But I don't want any interference. Destroy the nearby village—it's the likeliest place the intruders could have come from."

"Yes!" the others responded in unison.

"What?! The villagers have nothing to do with this!" Lucy protested, her fists clenched.

"You b*****ds! Stop this nonsense!" Gray shouted, his temper flaring. He charged forward, slamming his hands against the ground. A row of icy spikes erupted from the floor, shooting toward the cultists.

Lord Zero reacted swiftly, raising a hand to summon his own ice magic. The two spells collided, neutralizing each other in a burst of frosty mist.

"That guy uses ice magic too?" Happy exclaimed.

The identical nature of the magic left both sides stunned.

Yuka's eyes narrowed as he noticed the guild crests on Su Yan and the others. "Fairy Tail wizards? So, that's why the villagers turned to their guild for help."

Gray's voice trembled as he glared at Lord Zero. "Leon… do you even understand what you're doing?"

The man smirked. "It's been a long time, Gray."

"You know each other?" Lucy asked, confused.

Gray clenched his fists tightly. "He's my senior… Leon."

"Your senior? Then why is he trying to bring back the monster that killed your master?" Happy asked, bewildered. Natsu and Lucy looked equally puzzled.

Gray's face darkened. "That's what I want to know. Leon, what the hell are you doing?!"

Leon sneered. "Have you told your guildmates the truth, Gray? Because as I recall… it was you who killed Ur."

Gray flinched as if struck. His body began to tremble.

"You killed Ur, Gray," Leon repeated coldly. "You have no right to even speak her name!"

Gray's composure shattered, and he fell silent, overwhelmed by guilt.

Leon turned to the others. "Yuka, Toby, Sherry—go and destroy that village."

"Yes!" they replied, turning to leave.

Before they could act, Su Yan's voice rang out, calm but commanding. "That won't be happening. That village is the client of our mission, and if you harm them, it'll tarnish Fairy Tail's name."

"Om—!"

A wave of Su Yan's Conqueror's Haki swept through the area. The oppressive energy struck Leon and his group like a physical force.

Leon quickly raised an ice shield, but it began to crack under the pressure.

"Boom!"

The shield shattered with a resounding noise, sending Yuka, Toby, and Sherry flying backward.

Leon grunted as he slid several feet, his face pale. "Who… are you?" he demanded, glaring at Su Yan.

A short, masked figure, dressed like a tribal native, stepped forward and answered for him. "That's Su Yan of Fairy Tail. An S-rank mage known as the 'Immortal Demon King.'"

Su Yan's eye twitched slightly. Why does everyone keep calling me that lately?

Leon's expression darkened. He hadn't paid much attention to the world outside his obsession with Deliora, but now he felt an undeniable sense of danger emanating from Su Yan.

Yuka's face twisted in shock. "Wait, what?! He's the 'Immortal Demon King' Su Yan?!"

"You know him?" Leon asked.

Yuka nodded grimly. "I've heard about him. The Fairy Tail Guild has a prodigy—a wizard who became an S-rank mage at just thirteen."

Sherry interjected. "I've heard the stories too, but I've never seen him in person."

"Ooh!" Toby added nervously.

The three of them now regarded Su Yan with trepidation. The reputation of an S-rank mage from Fairy Tail was no laughing matter, especially when it was someone who broke records and continued to grow in power.

Leon, however, clenched his fists and forced a smirk. "Fairy Tail's prodigy, huh? Let's see if you live up to the rumors."