Riser looked down at all of his daughters lying on the floor as the wind and smoke finally cleared.
"It's impossible… Margrada was supposed to be stronger than Sylvain. She had both my magic and the Aether magic…" Riser muttered in shock.
Astro turned his head to check the aftermath of Sylvain and Margrada's battle before shifting his focus back to Riser.
"Well, it's not always about who's the strongest," Astro said, stepping forward. "Sometimes, it's about who has more determination."
Riser snapped out of his daze, his magic beginning to flare wildly.
"It doesn't matter! Sylvain is already out of commission… as long as I kill you, no one in this kingdom will stand in my way!"
"Honestly," Astro smirked, "I hope I could dream as big as you at that age. You don't see many old men with such optimism."
Riser groaned in annoyance. "I've lived at least three times the life you have, boy—show some respect!"
He rushed forward, swinging the Aetherkrone in a violent vertical slash. Astro widened his stance, coating his left arm with purple wind, and caught the strike head-on.
"Respect is earned," Astro said, pushing back against the force. "And there's only one old man I've met who deserves mine…."
The collision sent a shockwave bursting around them. Riser grit his teeth, his free hand darkening as a black-blue, rock-like substance spread over his arm.
"Black Rotten Gauntlet!"
He slammed his fist into Astro, the impact so powerful that Astro was launched backward through the air.
"Black Rotten Spikes!"
As Astro was still mid-air, Riser punched his gauntleted hand into the ground. From the point of impact, countless black spikes erupted upward, racing toward Astro's position.
Astro flipped backward in mid-air, barely landing on his feet—only to see a spike shooting straight for his right eye. The ground beneath him cracked as his figure vanished in an instant.
"I'll admit—you're fast," Riser muttered, scanning the battlefield. "But it's useless."
Even crouched low, he could follow Astro's movements, but no matter how many spikes he summoned, none could reach him. Astro dashed around in a zigzag motion, blurring through the air, before suddenly appearing right in front of Riser.
Riser's eyes widened. Wait—did he just get faster!?
Astro's kick connected under Riser's chin, sending the man hurtling upward, smashing through ceiling after ceiling until he burst out of the royal palace and into the open night sky.
The stars reflected in Riser's eyes as he felt a sharp gust of wind rising below him. He turned his head down abruptly—only to see a fading trail of purple smoke.
"Wait, what—?"
A chill ran down his spine. He whipped his head up just in time to see a glowing, purple-eyed figure right beside him, leg cocked back, aiming straight for his gut.
"Your biggest mistake," Astro said, his voice low and cold, "is thinking you can be king of the hill just by getting some powerful weapon, old man."
His kick landed squarely, launching Riser down toward the royal gardens. The old man's body smashed into the earth, creating a massive crater as dust and debris erupted outward.
Slowly, Riser pushed himself up, his wounds knitting together under a dark glow. He looked up to see Astro descending onto a nearby pillar, eyes still burning with that eerie purple light—like a devil watching a sacrifice offered in his name.
"You're still a few decades too early to lecture me, boy," Riser hissed, a twisted grin spreading as his jaw finished healing.
Astro, who was about to lean his body forward to descend to the ground, suddenly stopped. His eyes shifted toward the distant city.
Riser frowned, confused by Astro's sudden halt—until an explosion lit up the skyline. Trails of smoke began rising into the air.
Astro's expression darkened. A bad feeling crept through him; things were moving faster than he had hoped.
"I forgot you had such a good sensory ability," Riser said with a twisted grin. "Judging from that look on your face… You must've sensed them. The dark wizards Margrada and I recruited to gather power in this kingdom while Leonardo was still the king. They're a rowdy bunch, but I made sure they came here tonight—just in case anything went wrong. While you're busy fighting me, they'll wipe out all your exhausted friends."
Astro's eyes narrowed. He could tell Riser wasn't lying. There were at least a hundred dark wizards approaching. None of them was individually strong, but the sheer number was terrifying—and right now, no one left in the royal capital had enough strength to stop them except him.
"I have to let the others run away fast," Astro muttered under his breath, showing the first flicker of frustration that night. He closed his eyes briefly and called out in his mind,
"Hibiki, can you hear me?"
But before he could get an answer, Riser lunged forward at blinding speed. Astro cast a glance at the Aetherkrone in Riser's hand, narrowing his eyes. He leapt aside, dodging the violent swing. As Astro landed on the ground, Riser was now standing on the pillar.
"Black Rose Formation!"
From one of the roses behind Riser, several black vines began to sprout and twist together. Within moments, a colossal black rose—larger than Riser himself—bloomed ominously on his right side. Its dark petals were facing Astro.
"What is that magic…? Is he combining the weapon's magic with his own Destruction Magic? Is that even possible?" Astro gasped as the enormous rose suddenly launched a volley of knife-sharp black petals toward him.
Astro snapped out of thought just in time, jumping backward to dodge the barrage. When he glanced down, the grass that the petals had struck began to rot away instantly.
"So I was right…that weapon enchanted the rose, mixing it with destruction magic?" he muttered, but before he could think further, Riser swung the Aetherkrone again.
Astro looked around in alarm as more gigantic black roses emerged from every direction, each towering over ten meters high.
"You have no idea what's possible!" Riser shouted, eyes wide with manic joy. "Magic is such a fascinating thing—it's a limitless fantasy!"
He poured both his own Decay Magic and the Aetherkrone's power into the formation. All around, the roses began firing waves of black petals at Astro from every direction.
Something inside Astro's mind snapped as he exhaled softly, eyes steady. "Yeah… magic is just a form of fantasy—one we create through our will."
From the beginning, he'd been obsessed with the idea that the only way to defeat Riser was by mastering the Sky Enchantments. But that wasn't the only path. He should not limit himself to the safe way of beating Riser.
His gaze locked on the Aetherkrone glowing in Riser's grasp. There's another way.
Astro extended his right hand. Purple air condensed below his palm, swirling violently.
"Sky Devil's Tempest Spear."
A massive spear formed in his right hand, its inside vibrating with wind magic.. Closing his eyes for a second, he focused on every petal flying toward him—feeling their paths through the air. Then, he moved.
The first petal came close; Astro struck it down with a swift sweep of the spear. Without missing a beat, he spun, striking another—then another. Riser watched from above, disbelief creeping into his expression as Astro seemed to dance in place, the spear flashing in arcs of purple light, deflecting every incoming petal with impossible precision.
The ground beneath him began to blacken from the sheer density of Riser's corrupted rose petals. But Astro didn't falter.
"Just give up already!" Riser roared, thrusting the Aetherkrone toward him. It pulsed with dark light, and all the enormous black roses around began glowing as well.
"Black Rose—"
Before he could finish, Astro's glowing eyes flicked toward him. A heavy pressure filled the air. The wind howled and gravity seemed to multiply in the area; Astro dropped to one knee, spear still in hand, as the air above him grew dense enough to crush stone. Every black petal that was still coming towards Astro also suddenly fell to the ground under that overwhelming force.
"Astro? You were calling? Do you need help? I am sensing an insane amount of magic from where you are on the map."
Hibiki's voice echoed inside his mind.
Astro took a deep breath, leaning on his spear. "Hibiki… do you remember what we talked about when we split up from Gray and the others on the top floor?"
He could sense Riser charging something enormous through the Aetherkrone, but he didn't move. He wanted Riser to unleash it now—his strongest attack.
"Wait—you don't mean—?" Hibiki's tone turned panicked.
"Yeah," Astro said calmly. "Put a safety mental block in my mind. If I lose control… detonate it."
"Are you insane?!" Hibiki's voice cracked. "I told you, I don't know what that'll do! Best case—you're in a coma for months. Worst case—you'll turn into a complete idiot!"
Astro exhaled, a faint smirk curling on his lips. "Well… Fairy Tail already seems full of those anyway. I will fit right in. "
He tried to steady himself as Riser's dark magic reached its peak, the giant roses gathering terrifying amounts of sky energy from the Aetherkrone. The air trembled. The entire royal garden seemed to sink under the weight of the spell about to be unleashed.
The ground began to tremble; earthquakes shook not only the royal palace but the entire capital around it.
Inside the city, hundreds of dark wizards were sprinting toward the Royal Castle. "Boss, we're already too late, aren't we?" one shouted.
The lead wizard snapped back, breathless. "Don't state the obvious. We ran as fast as we could after Miss Margrada ordered us here. Anyway, stop harassing the locals for now; focus on getting to the castle!" With that, the horde pushed onward toward the direction where they were sensing an insane amount of magic being cast..
Even inside the palace, Hibiki felt the pressure of the magic growing outside. He realized the situation must have been serious if Astro was considering doing it.
"All right, Astro, I'll do it. But be careful." Hibiki understood there was no time to hesitate. Over the course of this mission, he had come to respect Astro—his leadership, decisiveness, and strength. Hibiki opened a yellow panel and typed a few commands; an upload interface flickered to life.
"Okay— you might feel a short pain as it uploads. It won't last long. Do whatever you need to do now." Hibiki's voice echoed in Astro's mind.
Astro felt a sharp, stinging pain in his head. The crushing pressure pinned him in place; there was now nowhere left to run.
Riser leveled the Aetherkrone at Astro, who still couldn't get to his feet, and intoned the final chant.
"Black Rose's Celestial Ray!"
As if on cue, all the colossal black roses surrounding the garden unleashed a single, concentrated, coal-black beam aimed straight at him.
"Well… I've never seen so much Sky Magic in one place," Astro murmured weakly as he pushed himself up despite the unbearable pressure.
His eyes flared purple. He opened his mouth and began to consume the attack—eating the Aetherkrone's sky magic without stopping.
"This is the strongest magic this weapon can produce," Riser hissed. "No matter how much you swallow, you can't devour such endless power!"
Astro said nothing. He kept eating. The garden filled with a sick, dark glow as Riser poured more of his strength into the beam. "You're insane. Do you think you can hold that much in your body?" Riser shouted.
Astro didn't answer, though he could feel himself nearing his limit. The pressure between them wrenched like a tug of war. Then, suddenly, a purple explosion detonated from inside Astro's chest. The blast rocked the entire royal capital— the whole garden was shredded, and even the castle's outer wall collapsed on the garden side.
Riser was slammed backward off the pillar where he had stood. He flipped through the air multiple times, hitting the ground hard and kneeling, panting as he laughed in an unhinged way.
"Ha—"
"Hahaha—"
"That's what you get for standing in my way, boy. Haha."
But his laughter stopped suddenly as he turned his face toward the place where Astro had stood. Through the dust, he could make out a silhouette—then clearer: Astro was still standing. His upper garments were tattered; his eyes were shut, but his chest rose and fell slowly, indicating that he was alive.
"How…?" Riser began, a question half-formed on his lips, as confusion and doubt crept into him.
"No matter," he muttered, forcing admiration into his voice. "I admire your tenacity. Out of respect, I'll end you here." Riser sprang forward.
Astro didn't move—didn't even twitch. The Aetherkrone slashed down toward him, but before it could strike, another massive impact exploded out of Astro's body.
"What—?" Riser tried to defend himself, but the blast shoved him back tens of meters. He barely managed to land on his feet.
"What is going on?" Riser ground out. Why does this boy still have magic left?
Astro took a single step forward, still with his eyes closed. Riser blinked—and his confusion flipped into a shock. From Astro's right palm, a purple tattoo-like mark crawled up like a living snake. It slithered across his skin, rising to his shoulder, then his neck, then across his face before stopping at his hairline. The tips of Astro's black hair tinted purple, giving him a more mature look than before.
Astro opened both of his eyes.
If before Astro's gaze had been cold, calculating, sometimes a bit teasing, now it held nothing. No emotion at all. His left eye glowed the familiar, eerie purple, but his right—now surrounded by the purple mark—burned a deep, hellish red.
Riser swallowed hard. "W-What happened to you?" he rasped.
Astro didn't answer. He simply stopped walking and raised his arm, studying the purple, snake-like tattoo coiling across his skin.
"I'm… not sure," Astro said at last. His voice sounded different. It carried a distorted echo that made the air vibrate.
"But… I remember him mentioning it once," Astro murmured.
Riser's confusion twisted into dread. He didn't know who Astro was talking about, but some primal instinct screamed at him to run. Even without sensory magic, he could feel the chaotic storm of energy raging inside the boy's body.
"This power… this feeling…" Astro whispered, still inspecting his hand. "There's no mistaking it."
He lifted his head, red and purple eyes now fixed directly on Riser. "This is the ultimate Devil Slayer form—The Devil Force."
The instant their gazes met, Riser's body went rigid. He stepped back once… twice… a third time before stopping himself. His teeth clenched.
"Whatever it is, you're still no match for this weapon!"
Then his pupils shrank. Astro's face was suddenly right in front of him—mere inches away. The glow of those mismatched eyes reflected in Riser's own. He barely had time to raise the Aetherkrone before Astro's left fist smashed into his chest..
The impact sent Riser flying, bouncing violently across the courtyard before crashing through the palace wall. The shockwave shattered the outer structure, leaving a long cratered trail of destruction.
Riser groaned, clutching his jaw as he began to heal. But before he could even fully rise—
Astro was already there.
He appeared right in front of him like a phantom, completely silent and merciless.
"What insane speed… This isn't normal," Riser thought in panic. "Is this why Slayer magic was feared?"
His mind screamed, but his body couldn't react fast enough. Astro's kick slammed under his chin, launching him skyward. The force carried him past the palace towers. Before he could even process the motion, Astro appeared behind him midair, spinning into a brutal roundhouse kick that crashed into his neck.
Riser's body shot downward like a meteor, slamming into a nearby mountain. The impact from his body hitting the mountain carved a vast circular crater visible even from Astro's position high above.
As Astro slowly descended, he glanced at the dark wizards still approaching the royal castle in the distance.
'Thankfully, I've still got my sanity, he thought. But it's my first time entering Devil Force. I don't think I can maintain it for too long.'
He could feel it—an overwhelming amount of ethernano coursing through him; it felt like he had no limit in this form.
'Maybe… I can use that technique. In this form, it should be possible.'
Two massive, glowing purple wings of wind formed behind him, spreading wide. With a sharp gust, Astro shot forward, streaking across the sky toward Riser's direction like a comet.
Down below, Riser groaned, staggering to his feet. His expression hardened as he saw Astro's glowing figure racing toward him at impossible speed.
"This is bad," Riser muttered, gripping the Aetherkrone tighter. "That kid's going to destroy everything I've worked for if this keeps up!"
He pushed an immense amount of Aether Magic into his feet. The ground cracked beneath him, a thunderous roar following his movement as he propelled himself upward, meeting Astro head-on in midair.
Their fists collided.
A shockwave tore through the mountain, ripping the clouds apart. Both felt the crushing pressure of the other's power—but Riser realized the gap was enormous. Astro's strength dominated his strength completely. The impact sent Riser plummeting backward again, crashing through the mountain and bursting out the other side.
Riser groaned, coughing as he raised his head midair—only to see Astro already above him, descending with a glowing purple sphere forming in his right hand.
"Aero Dominion."
Astro's voice was calm—almost quiet—but it carried like thunder.
He slammed the sphere straight into Riser's chest. The impact alone sent Riser to ground, and as soon as he landed, a massive dome of swirling purple wind erupted, half the size of the mountain itself. It engulfed every tree and stone in its path. Riser's screams echoed from within the wind dome..
Astro hovered midair, watching coldly as the blast faded. His red eye burned brighter, reflecting the chaos below. The thought that this man's twisted ambitions could have killed his friends—the people he cared about—echoed violently inside his mind.
His teeth clenched. Rage began to boil inside his mind as his magic started going wild.
And just then—
A familiar voice echoed quietly in the back of his mind.
"Calm down, Astro. If you truly care about your friends, then don't lose control of your emotions in this state—otherwise, you'll end up killing everyone in this city… including them."
A deep, resonant voice echoed inside Astro's mind. For the first time since entering Devil Force, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"Alvemak… how are—" Astro began to ask how the Sky Devil, the one who had granted him his power, was suddenly speaking in his mind—but he stopped himself.
Alvemak was right. Even though Astro had taken precautions with Hibiki in case he lost control, it was better not to let things get anywhere near that point. He had to control his emotions..
Astro refocused on the ground, where Riser—clothes in tatters, body covered in countless cuts—was struggling to his feet.
"You…" Riser rasped, trembling.
"You're just a naive…"
"Naive, young boy…"
"Who has no respect for others'—"
"Hard work! Work that they spent their entire lifetime to achieve!"
Riser shouted each phrase louder than the last, voice breaking with fury. He realized that this was it—he would have to unleash every ounce of strength he had left. The aftermath could wait. Even if it destroyed him, he would not lose to this boy.
"Aetherkrone!" he roared, voice cracking the air. "Take part of my soul! I worked for decades—decades—to get here, only to lose to some no-name wizard from another kingdom?! That will never happen!"
The Aetherkrone, which had been flickering with rejection, suddenly began to glow brightly—as if pleased. Riser's eyes widened in agony as the weapon started draining his soul directly. The pain was unbearable, unlike anything he had ever experienced. Yet amid that suffering, he could feel the weapon's strength multiplying, feeding on him.
"Haha… yes… I will win! Soon I'll be the strongest in this land!" Riser laughed manically, his sanity slipping further away.
Astro, hovering above, didn't move. He knew approaching a man already losing his mind was dangerous. Still, he could sense it—Riser was preparing his final move. And compared to the "Black Rose's Celestial Ray," this one was far beyond it.
Thankfully, Astro had already drawn him away from the royal palace and the capital. Out here, in the mountain forests, there was no one else around.
Astro slowly descended through the air, gathering the remainder of his magic into his palm.
"Alvemak, I have some questions for you later," he said in his mind. "Right now, I have to finish this."
The Sky Devil's voice returned, calm and almost amused.
"Well, as you wish. But don't destroy that Aetherkrone. It was me for me—by Zeref—as a favor. I had to leave it in Earthland long ago, and I think I'm still… quite attached to it, you know."
Alvemak's voice faded from Astro's mind.
Astro didn't care that it had once been the Alvemak's weapon. His focus was on another thing.
"So Zeref really existed… not just a fairy tale," Astro thought briefly, then pushed the thought aside as he felt the massive surge of magic Riser was gathering.
Astro also raised both hands, channeling all the magic in his body into his palms. The air around them screamed as the two opposing forces began to form. Even before either spell was cast, the pressure alone created massive winds that spread across the mountains and reached the distant capital.
Inside the palace, people stopped what they were doing.
Gray looked up, eyes narrowing. "That level of magic… Is that Astro and Riser?"
Hibiki's updates had already reached them. Gray clenched his fists, feeling the tremor of energy through the walls.
"So this is the power… of a Devil Slayer."
Cana and Shawn were still lying on the floor.
Shawn tried to get up despite the exhaustion weighing him down, but Cana stopped him.
"It's not a fight we can help with, Shawn. Trust Astro," she said firmly. "The fact that he's still standing means he believes he can win."
Shawn froze, then slowly sat back down. Even so, the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide. Everyone there looked toward the distant clash of magic—the source of that overwhelming pressure that shook the air itself.
"That guy's a monster," Totomaru groaned, forcing himself upright with effort.
Ichiya didn't even try to sit. "Men… I knew it from the first time we met. His perfume was special."
Gray sighed, not bothering to look at him. "What does that even mean?"
He turned his gaze back toward the battlefield, his voice quieter now.
"You'll be okay, right, Astro? We're not going back to Fairy Tail without you."
Up above, Astro was preparing his final spell. He closed his eyes as a faint smile crossed his face. In his Devil Slayer state, his senses had expanded a hundredfold—he could hear every voice, even from several kilometers away.
"Yeah… we're going back together," he whispered. "I promise."
The purple markings on his right arm flared, pulsing in sync with his heartbeat. Below, Riser finished charging his own magic. The Aetherkrone pulsed with a violent black glow as he aimed it toward the sky.
"This is the end, boy!" Riser roared, as a blinding flash burst from the weapon's edge.
"Destruction Magic's Judgment…"
A gigantic surge of black energy tore through the air toward Astro.
Astro looked at it calmly. The tattoo-like mark on his arm began to blaze brighter as he murmured,
"I'm sorry… but I haven't lived my life to the fullest yet, old man."
He opened his eyes—one glowing red, the other a radiant purple.
"And a fool like you could never understand the feeling of having people that you love waiting for you back home."
Images flickered through his mind—Gray, Cana, Shawn, Mira, Master, and all the others from Fairy Tail.
"So I'll win this," Astro whispered.
He lifted his palm, facing it toward the ground.
"Sky Devil's Ultimate Art…"
A demonic whisper rippled through the air. The sound carried across the mountains, the city, and even into the royal palace. Everyone heard it.
"So this is Astro when he is serious," Cana muttered, as both Gray and Shawn grinned faintly, looking toward the glowing horizon.
"Yeah," Gray said softly.
The dark wizards racing toward the royal castle suddenly stopped in their tracks as they neared the outer gates.
"Boss… do you think we should still go?" one of them asked, trembling. He'd never heard such a terrifying, otherworldly voice in his life—every hair on his body stood on end. And not to mention, it was obvious where the voice was coming from. He could feel the insane strength of magic that was being cast from so far away, even from here.
The others looked just as pale. Their leader hesitated, staring at the black-and-purple light in the sky just past the mountain.. Even though they were far from the palace, they could feel it—whatever was happening there was the reason they'd been summoned.
"What should we do…?" he muttered under his breath.
Astro didn't care what was happening at other places anymore.. His focus was entirely on Riser below. And Riser's focus was locked on him.
The entire mountain range was swallowed by black and purple light as both of them gathered the last of their power.
Riser unleashed his attack first.
"Atomic Blackstar Cannon!"
Astro's voice followed instantly.
"Divine Pegasus's Salvation!"
A colossal Pegasus of the same size as the mountain nearby—its body woven from devil's purple wind—materialized in front of Astro. It flapped its wings once, releasing a deafening cry that shook the sky, before diving straight toward Riser.
From below, a massive black beam—the size of the pegasus itself—erupted from the Aetherkrone to meet it.
When the Pegasus and the beam collided, the world flashed repeatedly with white, black, and purple light, blinding the whole area.
The impact erased everything within a kilometer. Mountains split, trees vanished completely, and the capital's horizon blazed in unnatural light. For a moment, the entire world around Astro and Riser seemed to be swallowed by the clash of two ultimate attacks, as they themselves were engulfed in the range of the clash as well.