"Too reckless, Natsu!"
With that booming shout, Kael's figure blazed across the sky like a shooting star, plunging straight toward the battlefield below.
Just before hitting the ground—barely an inch away—an explosive cyclone burst from around his body.
The earth beneath him split apart with a deafening crack, and countless jagged fissures spidered outward in every direction.
In the blink of an eye, Kael had appeared behind the still-charging Natsu. His right hand sliced through the air with terrifying precision, forming a sharp, blade-like motion as it struck toward Natsu's back with the sound of air tearing apart.
But just as the strike was about to land—
Shing!
A sudden chill pierced through the air. From Kael's flank, an icy gust burst forth without warning, sharp enough to freeze bone.
Caught completely off guard, Natsu's feet slipped on the scorched ground. His body lurched forward—just barely dodging Kael's crushing strike by a hair's breadth.
Kael's hand froze mid-swing. Then he smirked.
"Nicely done, Gray! Your control over Ice-Make Magic has reached a whole new level. Even your casting speed has improved!"
Though his attack had missed, Kael wasn't frustrated. Instead, his praise carried genuine warmth. Lightly pressing off the ground with his toes, he rose once again into the air—graceful, composed, and in perfect balance.
His gaze swept across the battlefield like lightning, reading every stance, every heartbeat. His eyes finally locked onto the guild members surrounding him.
"Well then," he said, smiling faintly, "I'll fight you using only taijutsu and swordsmanship. Show me what all your training has accomplished."
As soon as his voice fell, a powerful aura surged from Kael's body—then vanished, drawn completely inward as he sealed away every trace of his own magic.
Having done so, Kael's form flickered. His feet tapped lightly across the air—each step like a dragonfly touching water.
Every motion carried weight and power, allowing him to remain suspended midair—like a war god descended to the mortal realm, waiting patiently for the others to make their move.
The group exchanged quick, nervous glances, but soon they steadied themselves. Subtle nods followed one after another.
They had activated Telepathic Magic, linking their minds together—and completely shutting Kael out of their strategy.
The First Strike
Without hesitation, Natsu charged forward as the vanguard.
His fists clashed together, and a blazing red magic circle flared before him.
He cupped his hands to his mouth, inhaling deeply—then exhaled with explosive force.
"Fire Dragon's ROAR!"
A massive dragon of flame burst from his mouth with a thunderous roar, its molten breath surging forth like a volcano erupting.
The flames filled the sky, swallowing Kael's figure entirely in a sea of molten red.
The intense heat distorted the air and dried the moisture from the ground.
Yet within that inferno, Kael smiled.
He could feel the strength of the heat, the shimmering waves of distortion, the moisture sizzling away—and he felt proud. Proud of how far Natsu had come in mastering his fire.
At that very moment, though Kael hadn't used his Observation Haki, his battle instincts screamed a warning.
Two fierce killing intents locked onto him—one from each side.
"From both flanks…" he murmured.
In a flash, light gathered in his right hand, condensing into a brilliant sword of pure light.
With one clean swing, he sliced through the air.
The enormous fire dragon was severed instantly, broken into a storm of glittering embers that scattered like stars.
At the same time, two golden arcs of sword energy shot from Kael's blade, streaking toward Natsu faster than the eye could follow.
"Natsu!" shouted Gajeel and Gray at once.
Kael grinned. "You should be more worried about yourselves!"
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed two crescent slashes toward both of them.
A heartbeat later—BOOM!
Explosions erupted from three directions at once, shaking the entire field.
Smoke and dust billowed upward, obscuring everything from view.
From behind the haze, Juvia's voice trembled with panic. "Gray-sama…?" Her eyes filled with worry—then hardened with anger.
Kael's voice cut through the smoke. "Next up… it's your turn, Wendy."
He fixed his gaze on the young Sky Dragon Slayer, a calm smile glinting in his eyes.
He had decided to eliminate the support first—to weaken their coordination.
With a sharp burst of energy, Kael launched himself forward, lightning-fast. His light sword drew several cutting arcs through the air, sword qi crossing in dazzling patterns.
"Not so fast!" cried Ultear, her voice sharp.
She gripped her crystal orb tightly and hurled it upward. The sphere split into countless smaller crystals, which shot toward Kael like a swarm of glowing comets.
Each orb emitted a brilliant beam of light, forming a dense barrage of laser-like projectiles raining down on Kael.
"Wendy! Be careful!" shouted Carla as she spread her wings, grabbing Wendy and pulling her upward into the air.
But even with that, they underestimated Kael.
Even without magic, his speed was terrifying.
His feet struck the air in rapid succession, performing multiple Moon Steps and Shave techniques. His figure flickered and blurred like a phantom—impossible to track.
Within seconds, he had slipped through Ultear's barrage and was already closing in on Wendy.
"Air bends to my will!" Wendy cried, gathering mana between her palms. Magic circles bloomed around her, and in an instant, walls of compressed air formed around Kael, cutting off his advance.
From above, Carla hovered beside her, assisting with aerial positioning.
"Count me in too, Wendy! Let's hit him together!"
"And no one—no one—hurts Gray-sama! Not even the Fourth Master!" shouted Juvia, cheeks puffed, eyes blazing with fury as steam literally rose from her head.
Kael looked up with amusement as the three girls prepared their joint attack.
Wendy nodded sharply. "Right!"
She clasped Juvia's hands, and in a single heartbeat, their magic resonated perfectly—two souls harmonizing as one.
Wendy inhaled deeply, while Juvia drew moisture from the air, shaping it into countless razor-sharp water blades.
The very wind seemed to scream with their combined power.
"Sky Dragon's ROAR!"
"Water Spiral Typhoon!"
"Unison Raid—Sky Dragon's Vortex Blades!"
A colossal tornado burst forth, infused with countless water blades, spiraling downward toward Kael with devastating force.
Ultear seized the chance, manipulating her crystal spheres again to fire beams of light from all sides—locking Kael's escape routes completely.
BOOM!
The explosion was deafening. The shockwave ripped across the battlefield, hurling everyone backward.
"Did we get him?" Natsu shouted, emerging from the smoke, soot-streaked and coughing.
Gray and Gajeel stumbled up beside him, both covered in dust and ash.
The blast had even knocked them off their feet.
"Not yet," said Erza, her body wrapped in bandages and clad in short battle gear, gripping a demonic katana. "That wasn't enough to stop him." She sank into a low stance, power building around her.
"Open! Gate of the Twins—Gemini!" cried Lucy, her voice ringing clear and resolute.
Holding a golden key high, she completed the summoning gesture.
A flash of light erupted, and beside her appeared a perfect double—another Lucy, identical in every way.
The two Lucys crossed their hands together in flawless synchronicity, and in the next instant, a torrent of magic burst from their bodies like a tidal wave.
The energy was so immense it crackled through the air, shaking the ground.
From deep within the lingering smoke, Kael's amused voice echoed.
"Seriously? You're using advanced magic now?" he said, half-laughing, half-exasperated.
Even Kael himself began to wonder if maybe he'd trained them a bit too hard over the past three months.
He sighed quietly, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"…Fine. Let them get it out of their system."
Drawing a deep breath, Kael reached behind him and grasped the hilt of his blade—Dragon's Lament.
He knew he couldn't hold back any longer.
Erza's katana slash and Lucy's overwhelming celestial power were both dangerously strong—and he still needed to watch for any surprise attacks from the others, especially Kana, who had yet to make her move.
She knew him too well… and might strike when he least expected it.
Then, from beyond the haze, a clear, resonant voice rang out—Lucy's chant echoing through the air:
"Heaven's Gate, open wide… summon the stars themselves!"
The battlefield glowed with celestial light.