Kael's words stirred an indescribable emotion in Gray's heart. He fought back his tears, refusing to let them fall where the others could see.
"Hmph! So you plan to stop me from resurrecting Deliora?" Lyon shifted into a combat stance, his eyes narrowing.
Kael gave a casual wave of his hand. "Don't bother talking to me about stopping you. I don't care who you resurrect; that's your business. However, you crossed the line when you tried to hurt my clients and attacked my companion."
He paused, his expression turning cold. "You could call it a fair duel, but I've always been the type to protect my own. Can't be helped."
Lyon's gaze sharpened, fierce and unyielding. "What's the point of all these pretty words? In the end, we still have to fight!"
Kael smiled thinly. "The words matter. At least this way, you'll know exactly why you're getting beaten."
"Ice-Make: Eagle!!"
Lyon thrust his palms forward, releasing a swarm of ice eagles. Kael stood his ground, making no move to dodge or evade.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The eagles slammed into Kael's body. On impact, the ice spread rapidly, growing and sealing Kael inside a frozen tomb within seconds.
"Kael!!" Lucy and the others cried out, their faces pale with worry.
But their panic was short-lived.
CRACK—!!
With a thunderous bang, the ice block encasing Kael shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Ice-Make: Ape!!"
Lyon hadn't expected Kael to go down so easily. The moment the ice broke, he followed up with another spell. A massive ice ape materialized in front of Kael, raising its frozen fists and smashing them down with crushing force.
Boom!!!
The ground shook as the fists connected, but Kael remained standing—completely unharmed, utterly unfazed.
"What?!" Lyon gasped.
Kael casually drove a punch into the ice ape's chest.
Boom—!!
The massive construct exploded instantly.
"Ice-Make: Tiger!!"
Seeing his physical attacks fail, Lyon's expression darkened. He quickly formed a giant, ferocious ice tiger.
Roar—!!
The tiger lunged at Kael, its icy claws poised to tear him apart.
"Nice kitty," Kael muttered.
Smack!
Kael caught the tiger by the head with one hand. With a slight flex, he lifted the massive beast off the ground as if it weighed nothing. No matter how violently the ice tiger struggled, it couldn't break free.
"Have it back!" Kael hurled the tiger straight at Lyon.
"Disperse!!" Lyon shouted, quickly dispelling the magic. The white tiger dissolved into mist before it could hit him.
"Damn it… Ice-Make: Dragon!!!"
Rumble—!!
A colossal white dragon erupted from the ground, shattering the stone pillars of the ruins as it coiled through the air. It lunged forward, jaws wide, ready to crush Kael.
Kael didn't move. He simply raised his arm.
CRACK—!!
The dragon clamped down hard on Kael's arm, but instead of drawing blood, its teeth shattered like glass.
Kael then tapped into the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
Boom—!
Crack, crack!!
Spiderweb cracks raced across the dragon's entire body. A second later, the massive creature collapsed into a pile of frozen rubble.
"Th… this is impossible?!" Lyon's voice shook. "No! This is impossible! How can my magic have no effect on you?!"
Lyon was on the verge of a breakdown. His strongest spells were being swatted away like flies.
"Lord Lyon's magic…" "…it's not working…"
Sherry and the others watched in horror. They had seen powerful wizards before—even Jura of the Ten Wizard Saints—but the way Kael was dominating Lyon was terrifying. To Lucy, Natsu, and the rest, Kael's strength seemed almost excessive.
"I don't believe it!!" Lyon screamed, slamming both hands onto the ground. "Ice Geyser!!"
A massive pillar of ice erupted from directly beneath Kael's feet. Kael merely raised an eyebrow and stomped down.
Rumble—!!
The erupting ice was instantly crushed back into the ground. The entire ruin began to shake violently, stones raining from the ceiling as if the structure were about to cave in.
"Uwaah!" The onlookers struggled to stay on their feet, screaming in fear.
Buzz—!
Kael clenched his fist. The air around it began to distort, forming a white, glowing spherical halo—the signature of his vibration power.
"This is bad!!" Yuka shouted. He remembered the last time Kael used that move—it had caused an earthquake and nearly leveled the area.
"Doll Attack: Mud Doll!!" Sherry desperately summoned a giant stone man, commanding it to charge. She knew it couldn't stop him, but she hoped to buy even a second of time.
"Wave: Shield!!" Yuka created a vibration barrier in front of Lyon. He used to boast that his shield could neutralize any magic, but standing before Kael, his confidence had completely vanished.
"You guys…" Lyon looked at them, stunned that they would risk their lives for him against such a monster.
"Lord Lyon," Sherry cried out, "You're the one helping us kill Deliora! We won't stand by and watch you be hurt!"
Toby stood beside them, nodding fiercely. "Oh oh~!"
Lyon was moved by their loyalty, but there was no time for sentiment. Kael's fist was already moving.
"Ice-Make: Wall!!" Lyon poured everything he had into a massive defensive wall.
Kael's fist punched the air in front of the stone giant.
CRACK!!
The atmosphere shattered like a mirror. The terrifying shockwave slammed into the stone construct.
Boom—!!
The Mud Doll didn't just break—it disintegrated. Next was Yuka's Wave Shield, which shattered in less than a second. Finally, the vibration struck Lyon's thick ice wall.
Boom—!!
The wall exploded into a storm of shards.
"Uwaaaaah!"
The impact sent all four of them flying. They tumbled through the air, coughing up blood, before slamming hard into the ground.
At that moment, the cultists conducting the ritual rushed out, forming a human wall in front of their fallen leader.
"We won't let you hurt Lord Lyon!"