"Yes, Guild Master!"
At Jose's command, Aria struck without hesitation.
Makarov's magic had just been forcibly drained, his consciousness dulled by the backlash of interrupted casting. Aria raised both hands, and a void-like distortion bloomed in the air.
"Death Territory: Zero."
The space itself twisted, collapsing inward with lethal force, ready to tear Makarov apart.
A golden blur cut through the air.
Rowan reached Makarov first.
He seized the Guild Master and tore him free of the collapsing zone a heartbeat before the void finished forming. The two were hurled clear as the distorted space imploded behind them.
Jose's face twisted in fury.
"You dare interfere? Die!"
Dark magic surged toward Rowan, but three figures intercepted the attack at once.
"Requip: Black Wing Armor!"
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Ice-Make: Glacial Cannon!"
Fairy Tail's strongest trio moved as one, forcing Jose back.
Rowan didn't linger. He carried Makarov down and placed him gently into Mirajane's arms.
"Get him out of here," Rowan said quickly. "Have everyone pull back."
Even wounded, Jose was still far beyond Erza, Natsu, and Gray. Holding him off was already pushing their limits.
Mirajane nodded and tightened her grip on Makarov. Then her gaze snapped to the figure descending behind them.
"Be careful," she warned urgently. "Aria is the strongest of the Four Elements. You have to defeat him before he opens his eyes. Once he does, his magic power spikes dramatically."
Rowan turned, already focusing on the approaching mage.
So that's the condition.
Then don't let him open them.
Rowan drew his wand and fired without hesitation.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A thick beam of green light tore through the air.
Aria's instincts screamed. His heart clenched as he twisted aside, narrowly evading the curse. Even without seeing it clearly, he knew one thing with absolute certainty.
That spell would have killed him.
Before Aria could recover, Rowan followed up instantly.
"Sectumsempra!"
An invisible blade slashed toward Aria's torso. This time, Aria reacted at the last possible moment, flooding his body with raw magic. The curse grazed him instead of cutting through, leaving a shallow but bleeding wound across his abdomen.
It wasn't deep, but the lingering curse bit into the flesh, slowing his movements.
And that was enough.
The first two spells had never been meant to kill him outright.
They were bait.
Rowan raised his wand a third time.
"Eyes sealed."
The curse took hold immediately.
Aria recoiled, clutching his face as his eyelids slammed shut, refusing to open no matter how hard he strained.
"My eyes!"
He staggered back, disbelief lacing his voice as he faced Rowan.
"I didn't expect this from you," Aria said coldly. "You're more than just a repair mage."
Then his expression hardened.
"But don't delude yourself. Even blind, I am the strongest of the Four Elements."
He wasn't lying.
Aria normally kept his eyes covered to suppress his immense magic. Fighting blind was already second nature to him.
"Let me put you out of your misery," he said softly. "Poor little cat."
Aria thrust both hands forward.
Dozens of magic circles ignited in midair.
Compressed air blasts rained down like artillery, tearing through the sky toward Rowan.
"Protego!"
Rowan's shield flared into place just in time.
The impact was brutal.
Each blast slammed into the barrier, shaking it violently. Cracks rippled across the surface, but the shield held. In this world, reinforced by a superior wand, Rowan's defensive magic was far stronger than it had ever been elsewhere.
When the barrage finally ended, Rowan exhaled sharply.
Then his eyes widened.
"He's gone."
Aria had vanished.
Before Rowan could react, a voice whispered behind him.
"Now you'll feel what Makarov felt."
Invisible pressure crashed down as Aria reappeared, hands already forming a familiar sigil.
"Territory Collapse."
The magic circle ignited.
"Too bad," Rowan said calmly. "That was a lie."
In the instant the spell activated, Rowan's body expanded explosively, growing into a towering five-meter beast. His enlarged paw came down like a falling building.
The strike hit Aria head-on.
The impact sent him flying, his mind blanking from the sheer force as he was hurled toward the shattered guild hall below.
Rowan wasn't finished.
"Go."
From the pack on his back, a dozen razor-edged blades launched forward, chasing Aria through the air.
An S-Class mage's body was resilient. The blow alone wouldn't kill him.
But recovery required time.
And Rowan wasn't going to give him any.
The blades caught up before Aria hit the ground.
They flashed once.
Then again.
By the time his body fell, his head no longer followed.
Aria, strongest of the Four Elements, died before ever opening his eyes.