"So strong—!!"
Natsu's hair stood on end as he witnessed the sheer force behind Kaien's attack, flames bursting from his head.
His eyes were filled with shock and excitement. Overwhelming. Absolutely overwhelming. The moment Kaien swung that blade, Natsu felt as if the heavens themselves had been split open.
Every Take Over form Kaien had used gave off a different vibe.
Ulquiorra felt balanced—his overall strength was extremely refined.
Yoriichi was terrifying—every time Kaien used his gaze, Natsu's neck felt a chill.
Fushiguro Toji? That one left Natsu with the most scars. In that form, Kaien was like a humanoid dragon.
And Ace? That was Natsu's favorite—the wild, violent flames were unforgettable.
But this time, with the old man bearing a white mustache… Natsu felt only one thing: power.
Unmatched power.
One strike split mountains and parted seas.
It was just too strong. Far too strong.
Without a doubt, this was the strongest form Kaien had ever used.
Lucy and Happy were just as stunned. They had already thought Kaien was monstrous when he used the "Tyrant" form. But after seeing him take on the form of Whitebeard, they realized—Kaien had even stronger transformations.
And this one? This one was downright terrifying. They couldn't even begin to imagine such a powerful human could exist.
Meanwhile, Sherry and her two companions had collapsed to the ground. The attack hadn't even been directed at them. They were merely brushed by the aftershock… and that alone had utterly crushed their will to fight.
They stared at Kaien in horror. If the gap in strength had been smaller, maybe they could have fought back. But now? The difference was so vast that resistance seemed meaningless.
While Kaien stood off against Sherry's group—
Gray and Lyon were engaged in their own battle.
"Lyon! Do you even know what you're doing?! Ur gave her life to seal Deliora! And now you want to destroy what she left behind?!"
Gray roared with fury as he confronted Lyon.
Lyon removed his helmet, revealing a cool, handsome face with pale blue hair.
"Did you forget, Gray? If I recall correctly, it was you who killed Ur. Funny how you still have the shamelessness to keep living. If you had even a shred of shame, you'd step aside. I'm going to revive Deliora."
"I won't let you!"
"Then let's settle this."
"Ice-Make: Giant Eagle!"
Lyon raised his hand, conjuring a flock of ice hawks that shot toward Gray at high speed.
"Ice-Make: Ice Shield!"
Gray quickly conjured a shield in front of him.
But the hawks swerved around the shield and struck Gray directly.
"Ugh—!!"
He screamed in pain.
Lyon said coldly, "Your Ice-Make specializes in static constructs. Mine specializes in movement. Did you forget? My creations can move."
"Ice-Make: Giant Hammer Soldier!"
Gray broke out of the ice and cast his next spell.
A massive hammer formed above Lyon's head and came crashing down.
Lyon raised a finger calmly. "Ice-Make: Giant Ape!"
A towering ice ape appeared, raising its arms to block the blow.
CRACK—!!
Both the ape's arms and the hammer shattered simultaneously.
Lyon scoffed, "Pathetic. Just like always. Still using two hands to cast?"
"That's what Ur taught us! If you use one hand, your balance is off!"
"I'm not like you. I've already surpassed Ur."
"Don't flatter yourself."
"I should say the same to you. From childhood to now—have you ever even landed a hit on me?"
"I'm not the same as before!!"
"Ice Fountain!!"
Gray slammed both hands to the ground, ice surging up from the earth like a geyser.
Crack—crack—!!
Lyon countered with the same spell—with one hand—nullifying Gray's attack completely.
"It's all the same. I'm your senior. I'm stronger. I can shape magic with one hand. You can't. Nothing's changed. Even if we walk different paths, time feels frozen."
Lyon raised his palm. An ice dragon roared out of the ground and sent Gray flying.
"Ugh—!"
Gray hit the ground hard.
"Ur was my goal. Surpassing her was my dream. But that dream was taken from me—by you. I can never surpass her now. There's only one way left. Deliora. Not even Ur could defeat it. But if I can? If I can take it down… then I'll finally surpass her. Then my dream will be fulfilled." Lyon's expression had turned fanatical.
Gray stared at him, stunned. "Are you serious? That's your real reason? You know how dangerous Deliora is! Stop this! It's impossible!"
Lyon's face twisted with rage at Gray's words.
BOOM!
Massive ice pillars rose beneath Gray.
"Ugh—!!"
"You're telling me to stop? Saying it's impossible?! Don't you remember?! Back then, we told you the same thing! It was because of your arrogance—your obsession with fighting Deliora—that Ur died! You have no right to say her name! Get lost!! Vanish!!"
Suddenly—
RUMBLE—!!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the area, drawing Lyon's attention.
He turned toward the source—and his eyes widened.
He saw something unbelievable.
A massive mountain in the distance had been split in two by a single strike. And beyond that, even the sea had been torn apart.
"What… what is this…?"
This level of destruction was beyond Lyon's entire understanding of magic.
Kaien, noticing the commotion, walked over.
As he passed by Lyon, Lyon instinctively stiffened. It felt like a terrifying beast had brushed right past him. The sense of danger was suffocating. He gritted his teeth and restrained himself from lashing out.
Kaien stopped in front of Gray, grinning.
"That's pathetic. You got your ass kicked this badly? Weren't you just talking all big, like 'You're fighting me!' or something? It hasn't even been that long and you're already down for the count?"
"…"
Gray had no comeback. He'd been thoroughly defeated.
Then Kaien's tone shifted:
"But hey—no matter how weak you are, you're still a Fairy Tail mage. I can bully you all I want, sure.
But if someone else lays a hand on you?
That's not allowed."