"That emblem... they're from Fairy Tail!"
Sherry's eyes locked onto the mark on Natsu's shoulder. She recognized it instantly—the crest of the most troublesome guild in Fiore.
"I see. So the villagers sent for reinforcements," Yuka muttered. He knew the villagers had been desperate, especially since the curse had turned their home into the "Island of Demons" that everyone feared.
Lyon's expression didn't change. His voice stayed ice-cold. "What are you waiting for? Go. Erase that village from the map."
"Wait, what?" Natsu blinked, confused. "We're standing right here! Why are you still going after the villagers?"
Lyon clenched his fist, his gaze unwavering. "Simple. Anyone who hinders my goal—or even tries to—is an enemy."
"You bastard!" Natsu roared.
Suddenly, a blur of movement shot past Natsu. Gray rushed forward, slamming his palms onto the stone floor. "Stop this insane ritual right now!"
Crack, crack, crack!
A jagged wave of ice burst from the ground, racing toward Lyon like a row of spears. Lyon didn't flinch. He mirrored Gray's motion, pressing a single hand to the ground.
CRASH!
The two waves of ice collided, shattering into a million shimmering shards that scattered into the air.
"Ice Magic?" both sides whispered in surprise. Ice Magic wasn't the rarest kind of wizardry, but seeing another user always felt like a shock.
"Lyon... do you even realize what you're doing?" Gray demanded, his face twisted with anger and disbelief.
"Heh. It's been a long time, Gray," Lyon replied, his lips curling into a smug smirk.
"They know each other?!" Lucy and Happy cried out in unison, their jaws dropping.
"So, you're the wizard the village hired," Lyon continued. "Did you come here knowing it was me, or was this just a pathetic coincidence? Either way, it doesn't matter. You three, go. I can handle this failure on my own."
"Understood!"
"Don't you dare walk away!" Natsu yelled. He lunged to intercept the trio, completely missing the faint, crystalline chill swirling in the air around him.
"Natsu, wait! Don't move!" Gray shouted, but he was a second too late.
Whoosh!
A freezing vortex swallowed Natsu. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was sealed inside a thick, translucent block of ice, leaving only his head and limbs sticking out awkwardly.
"Damn it! I can't move!" Natsu grunted, forcing heat through his body. "I'll just melt it... wait, what the—? Why isn't this melting?!"
Sherry and the others ignored Natsu's struggle and prepared to head for the village. But a massive figure stepped into their path, blocking the moonlight.
"I can't let you do that," a calm voice echoed. "Hurting my clients is bad for business."
"Kael!" Lucy and Happy cheered. They had almost forgotten their "supervisor" was lurking in the shadows.
"Kael?" Zalty's eyes widened behind his mask. A cold sweat broke out along his neck. Of all the people to be here... why him?
"Perfect timing, Kael!" Lucy shouted, her confidence snapping back. "They're heading for the village! Take Over the 'Tyrant' and finish them off!"
"The Tyrant?" Yuka and Sherry froze. The name hit them like a physical blow.
"What's the hold-up?" Lyon barked, annoyed. "I told you to leave."
Sherry turned back, her voice trembling slightly. "Lord Lyon... I think that man is the 'Tyrant.'"
"The Tyrant? Never heard of him," Lyon snapped. He didn't care about rumors in the magical world. His only focus was surpassing Ur.
But Yuka and Sherry knew better. Even living on Galuna Island, they still made trips to Hargeon for supplies. You couldn't visit a port town without hearing about the wizard who had recently set the continent buzzing.
"The Tyrant is a monster who rose to fame overnight," Yuka explained, his hand drifting toward his belt. "They say he wiped out the Rockas Bandits—all ten thousand of them—by himself. I had no idea he was a Fairy Tail wizard."
"One against ten thousand?" Lyon's eyes narrowed.
Kael stood his ground. "The 'Tyrant' is fun and all," he mused, his voice dropping into a deeper, more resonant tone, "but I think it's time for something new. Let's see how you handle the 'Strongest Man in the World.'"
"Full-Body Take Over: Edward Newgate!"
The air around Kael seemed to drop. His body swelled, muscles thickening as his height surged upward until he towered over everyone at a staggering 6.66 meters. His clothes shifted into a flowing white captain's coat draped over his massive shoulders. In his right hand, a legendary naginata—the Murakumogiri—materialized, its blade gleaming under the purple moon.
Most notably, a white, crescent-shaped mustache appeared beneath his nose. His face became a blend of his own features and the sheer, rugged dominance of the legendary pirate.
"He's... he's a giant!" Lucy screamed.
Even Natsu and Gray, who were used to Kael's transformations, were stunned. They had never seen him take a form this massive—or this intimidating.
"Kael turned into... Grandpa Whitebeard?" Lucy stammered.
Kael closed his hand into a fist, feeling raw, earth-shaking power flood his veins. So this is the strength of the man who could destroy the world, he thought.
"Angelica!!" Sherry screamed, desperate to seize back the advantage.
Rumble—!
The giant rat they had fought earlier burst from the ruins, snarling as it lunged toward Kael with claws extended.
Kael didn't even raise his weapon. He simply drew back his left fist. A pale, translucent sphere condensed around his knuckles—the concentrated power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
He punched the air.
CRACK!
The air itself shattered like a sheet of glass. Jagged white lines spiderwebbed across the sky.
BOOM—!!
A shockwave of pure kinetic force slammed into the ruins. The entire mountain shook like it had been hit by a magnitude-eight earthquake. Stone pillars toppled, and the ground rolled like waves on the ocean.
"SQUEEEAK!"
The giant rat didn't even have time to scream. The vibration tore through its body, rupturing its insides and blasting it off the top of the ruins like a discarded toy.
"An earthquake?!"
"Uwaaaaah!"
Everyone collapsed, unable to keep their footing as the ruins threatened to slide off the mountain. When the tremors finally died out, a heavy silence followed. No one could stay calm after watching a man crack the atmosphere with a single punch.
Lyon stared at the massive figure before him, his pride finally wavering. "Who... who are you?"
Kael rested his naginata on his shoulder, looking down at Lyon like a god staring at an ant.
"Fairy Tail. Kael."