"Hour of the Ox Descends: Giant Palm!" Hua Yuan forcefully stabilized himself in mid-air, and a massive energy palm print slammed down!
"Beast King: Bear Swipe!"
Elfman's giant claws, imbued with terrifying power, swiped upwards!
Boom—!!!
The enormous energy palm and the Beast King's claws collided fiercely!
They were locked in a stalemate for an instant!
Then the giant energy palm shattered with a roar!
The ground beneath Elfman's feet cracked, but he didn't retreat an inch!
"Roar!" He roared, leaping up suddenly!
"Beast King: Death Roll!"
He grabbed one of Hua Yuan's arms in mid-air, his massive body spinning wildly like a crocodile!
Crack—!!!
The sickening sound of bones breaking rang out!
Hua Yuan let out a desperate shriek!
His arm was brutally twisted off!
Elfman slammed him violently into the ground!
Rumble—!!!
A deep crater was smashed into the ground!
Hua Yuan lay at the bottom of the pit, blood gushing from his mouth, and a look of terror finally appeared in his eyes!
This monster!
This power!
He was even more demonic than a demon!
"No... impossible..." He struggled to get up.
Beast King Elfman landed on the edge of the pit, his wild, beast-like eyes staring at him coldly.
He slowly raised his claws, dark magic highly condensed at their tips, radiating an aura of destruction.
"For my comrades..."
"...End..."
"Soul Shattering Claw!"
The claw, carrying a terrifying might that seemed to tear souls, viciously struck towards Kawarazu Seeker's head at the bottom of the pit!
"No—!!!" Hua Yuan let out a desperate roar, desperately gathering his last bit of strength to defend himself!
Rip—!!!
The claw, like a hot knife through butter, easily tore through all of Hua Yuan's defenses and flesh, savagely digging into his skull!
Kawarazu Seeker's body suddenly stiffened, and the light in his eyes instantly dimmed.
One of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, Kawarazu Seeker, was dead!
Beast King Elfman slowly withdrew his claws, standing at the edge of the deep pit, his massive body panting, the wild magic around him gradually subsiding.
He glanced at the corpse in the deep pit, then turned his head to look not far away.
Gray wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with one hand, while with the other, he shakily gave a thumbs-up.
Juvia lay collapsed on the ground, unconscious, but her head was no longer shattered, and a stream of water struggled to maintain her form, her aura weak but stable.
The ferocity in Elfman's eyes slowly receded, revealing a hint of relieved exhaustion.
Just then.
Buzz—!!!
A soft, pure white pillar of light suddenly illuminated the center of the plaza!
The light dispersed, forming an oval-shaped light portal.
Two figures slowly emerged from the portal.
The one on the left, with short golden hair shimmering in the sunlight, a hint of laziness and helplessness on his handsome face, wearing the Fairy Tail guild uniform, was Ezreal.
The one on the right, with long cherry-blossom colored hair tied up, a beautiful face, wearing a pure white swordsman's kimono, a tachi at her waist, and an aloof, moon-like temperament, was Ikaruga.
Ezreal's gaze swept across the chaotic plaza, which looked as if it had been ravaged by a giant beast, seeing the corpse in the deep pit, the heavily injured Gray, the unconscious Juvia, and Elfman, who had just released his Beast King Take Over, covered in wounds but still standing tall.
He sighed softly, rubbed his brow, and spoke with a hint of helplessness:
"Oh dear... it seems we're still a little bit late."
...On the ruins of the Moon God Temple plaza, the arrival of Ezreal and Ikaruga was like a ray of stabilizing sunlight after a storm.
Ezreal's gaze quickly swept across the entire scene; his golden eyes, which usually held a lazy smile, were now sharp and focused.
He first glanced at Kawarazu Seeker's disfigured corpse in the deep pit, his brows furrowing.
"One of Grimoire Heart's Seven Kin of Purgatory... if he died here, then the Tenrou Island storyline..." he muttered to himself.
His gaze then fell on the three heavily injured individuals.
Gray lay on the ground, breathing weakly, covered in blood and the fading marks of ice magic, but his eyes were exceptionally clear, with a calm born of surviving a great ordeal.
Juvia lay unconscious nearby, her body still in a water-stream form, but extremely unstable, the blood mixed in the water stream was shocking, and her aura was so weak it seemed she could dissipate at any moment.
Elfman had released his Beast King Take Over and returned to human form; he was covered in wounds, swaying precariously as he stood, but his back was ramrod straight, and his eyes, which had once held a hint of confusion and struggle, were now filled with unprecedented determination and composure.
"EZ... Ikaruga..." Gray spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse.
Ezreal quickly walked to his side and squatted down, checking his injuries: "Don't talk, conserve your strength."
Ikaruga, meanwhile, appeared silently beside Juvia, her cool gaze sweeping over her strange state, frowning slightly.
"The situation is a bit more troublesome than expected," Ezreal stood up and said to Ikaruga, "Gray has exhausted his magic and his body is severely overdrawn."
"Juvia's elementalization is excessive, her magic core is damaged, and her mind has also suffered severe trauma."
"Elfman... has severe external injuries, but it seems to be a blessing in disguise."
He glanced at Elfman, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
"Can they move?" Ikaruga asked concisely.
"They must move; this place is not suitable for treatment and recuperation," Ezreal nodded, then turned to Elfman, "Elfman, can you still hold on? We need to take you all back to the village immediately."
"A man! No problem!" Elfman nodded vigorously, though his body swayed.
Ezreal said no more; soft white light glowed from his hands, forming a large aura that carefully lifted Gray and Juvia.
Ikaruga walked to Elfman's side; although she didn't support him, an invisible energy locked onto him, ensuring he wouldn't fall.
"Let's go," Ezreal said, leading the way towards the Demon Village.
The aura, carrying Gray and Juvia, followed steadily behind him.
Inside the Demon Village, the atmosphere was still somewhat tense and uneasy.
Ur paced anxiously at the village entrance; Lyon had already awakened, and though his face was pale, he insisted on waiting nearby.
Sherry, Yuka, and Toby had also been released by the villagers from their temporary confinement, and all three wore worried expressions.
"Why aren't they back yet..." Ur looked towards the Moon God Temple, her brows tightly furrowed.
"Master, don't worry too much, Gray and the others are very strong," Lyon comforted, but his own palms were sweating.
That terrifying aura that had suddenly descended had made everyone's heart pound.
Just then, there was movement at the village entrance.
Ezreal and Ikaruga's figures appeared, with the aura carrying Gray and Juvia behind them, and Elfman following beside them.
"They're back!" A villager shouted.
Ur and Lyon immediately went to meet them.
"Gray! Juvia! Elfman!" Seeing the trio's terrible state, Ur's heart instantly clenched, "Oh my! How could they be so badly injured?!"
"Minor issues," Ezreal gently lowered the aura, "It's resolved. The enemy has been apprehended."
He was concise, but the words "the enemy has been apprehended" made everyone sigh with relief.
"Quick! Get them inside!" Village Chief Moca quickly called out.
Everyone scrambled to settle the three heavily injured individuals in the largest and cleanest wooden house in the village.
Ezreal took out a small metal box from his pocket; when opened, it revealed several neatly arranged vials emitting a soft green glow and a faint, fresh scent.
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