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A burst of starlight magic erupted.
Zoldeo released Flare's hair, broke free from the white-haired young man's grip, and quickly retreated a dozen steps, staring warily at the young man who had appeared silently behind him.
The young man's elusive appearance startled him greatly.
The white-haired young man ignored Zoldeo, simply pulled Flare over and asked, "Are you alright, little one?"
Flare, in a daze, subconsciously nodded, but immediately reacted, "Big brother! Please save Uncle Sol!"
"Don't worry, I will."
Seeing the young man comforting Flare clearly not taking him seriously, Zoldeo's face turned ashen. The thing he hated most in his life was people who looked down on him.
The feeling of being underestimated made him very uncomfortable.
"You bastard! How dare you interfere with my good business!"
"How dare you oppose our 'Grimoire Heart', I think you have a death wish ❌ I think you are courting death ✔️!"
But even though Zoldeo brought out the name of the strongest Dark Guild, the white-haired young man didn't even glance at him, which infuriated Zoldeo even more.
If it weren't for his apprehension about the opponent's strength, he would have already attacked.
Just as Zoldeo was considering whether to fight or flee, five figures emerged from the forest, and the cherry-haired boy running at the front already had flames burning on his fists.
"Is it time to fight, Noah? Let me handle it!"
Natsu swung his arms, and the condensed flames transformed into giant fiery dragon wings, striking down at Zoldeo.
Zoldeo leaped, the physical prowess of a golden Celestial Spirit was no joke, and he easily dodged Natsu's attack.
But Natsu was only trying to prevent Zoldeo from escaping.
When the goat-man landed, he was already surrounded.
Zoldeo's heart immediately sank; once caught in a siege, it would be troublesome, so he quickly looked for a breakthrough point.
The red-haired female knight stood with her sword, she was the famous Fairy Queen. Let alone being ganged up on, even one-on-one, Zoldeo had no confidence in defeating Erza.
Next were Gray, bare-chested, and Juvia, surrounded by water. Although Zoldeo didn't recognize them, ice and water had always been an excellent pair, making it impossible to quickly break through their defenses.
And Natsu's previous attack had already made Zoldeo abandon the idea of breaking through his line.
So, there was only one direction left.
Zoldeo turned his head to look, but his expression changed. The golden-haired girl holding a golden key overlapped with an unforgettable figure deep in his Memory.
"Miss Layla! You...you're not..."
"No, you're not her!"
Realizing that his former master had passed away many years ago, Zoldeo reacted, looking at Lucy with hostility, "Lucy Heartfilia! You've come to reclaim the capricorn key, haven't you? I'm telling you, it's impossible!"
"Even if you are Miss Layla's daughter, it won't do!"
"Capricorn is mine!"
His words were filled with madness, and Zoldeo's eyes were full of greed. The golden key with the Leo pattern in Lucy's hand was too tempting for him.
He had long heard that the Leo Celestial Spirit was the head of the zodiac twelve.
And the capricorn Celestial Spirit, controlled by Zoldeo, although supported by his magic, had gradually begun to decline in strength due to not being able to return to the Celestial Spirit World for starlight nourishment for a long time.
It was time to replace a body.
With a determined mind, Zoldeo suddenly attacked Lucy, and two magic gates resembling Celestial Spirit gates opened.
A general wielding a Crescent Blade (guandao) and a seasoned hunter with a drawn bow appeared out of thin air, rushing towards Lucy with Zoldeo.
Zoldeo's plan was to go all out to capture Lucy; as long as he had a hostage, he could retreat safely, and a Celestial Spirit Mage without a summoned Celestial Spirit was simply too fragile!
Miss Layla's daughter was still too naive.
Zoldeo's calculations were sound, but Lucy wouldn't grant his wish. Who said a Celestial Spirit Mage had to summon a Celestial Spirit only during battle?
The radiance of Leo pierced through the branches and struck directly at v. Leo, who had been waiting for a long time, appeared from the dazzling light, "Long time no see, Capricorn. Don't worry, we'll free you soon."
The sudden appearance of the Leo Celestial Spirit surprised Zoldeo, but he didn't think much of it. After all, given Lucy's age, summoning one Celestial Spirit was her limit, and he had summoned two human subordinates.
Although these two human subordinates couldn't use magic, they were first-rate warriors, and dealing with a fragile Celestial Spirit Mage was a piece of cake.
Watching the hunter subordinate draw his bow, Zoldeo felt confident of victory.
However, the next second, accompanied by a "Moshi Moshi" verbal tic, an arrow made of starlight magic collided with the hunter's sharp arrow.
Sagittarius, the Celestial Spirit, still wearing his horse costume, and the hunter subordinate locked eyes. Both being master archers, they quickly drew and fired their arrows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of air being torn apart was incessant, as arrows from both sides continuously exploded in mid-air, a stalemate for a time.
"A double gate opening, indeed worthy of Miss Layla's daughter, but this is her limit."
Zoldeo was slightly shocked by Lucy's current strength, but immediately rallied and engaged Leo in a fierce battle.
Lucy, only 16 years old, definitely couldn't perform a triple gate opening.
And his strongest puppet, the general subordinate, would surely easily take down the daughter of his former master!
Watching the general subordinate's guandao descend, Zoldeo smiled, but it was immediately replaced by astonishment.
The sound of metal clashing rang out as Lucy, with her arms covered in a black sheen, crossed them and actually blocked the general subordinate's guandao.
The unexpected scene not only stunned Zoldeo, but even the general subordinate holding the blade was momentarily frozen. Lucy seized the opportunity, tore away the guandao, and delivered a powerful punch to the general subordinate's face.
"This...this..."
Zoldeo's mouth hung open, too stunned to utter a complete sentence. Had he remembered incorrectly? Could a Celestial Spirit Mage themselves actually be quite capable in a fight?
So that's it. Miss Layla had long seen through my shattered but not vanished ambition and had always been guarding against me... Zoldeo gave a bitter laugh but did not give up. The humans he had enslaved over the years were more than just two.
However, how could Leo give the enemy a chance to continue summoning subordinates? He also possessed Armament Haki. His fist, covered in a black sheen and imbued with powerful magic, heavily struck Zoldeo.
Zoldeo saw Leo's movement, but his body couldn't keep up at all. He was struck in the chest and sent flying backward.
Leo pursued relentlessly. He and the capricorn Celestial Spirit, capricorn, were old friends and old rivals.
Fists rained down like a storm, and Zoldeo was pummeled by Leo's Lion's Roar Fist, losing his bearings. Although he controlled a Celestial Spirit capable of matching Leo, Zoldeo himself was completely helpless.
Leo, on the other hand, grew more excited with each blow, his smile becoming increasingly unmasked. Precisely because they were good brothers, he had to take this opportunity to thoroughly give Capricorn a beating!
"Hehe, Capricorn, how do you feel now~"