POV: Elior
Deliora slowly pulled itself from the crater.
Dust rolled down its enormous body as it stood to its full height.
Its eyes locked onto us.
"So," it growled. "You two are the ones who attacked me."
Laxus cracked his neck.
"Yep."
I raised my Light Sword.
"And apparently we annoyed you."
Deliora stared at us for a moment.
Then it laughed.
"You're children."
Laxus frowned.
"So?"
"You actually believe you can defeat me?"
I grinned.
"We don't have to believe it."
Deliora's smile widened.
"Then come."
It charged.
The ground shook with every step.
I disappeared in a flash of Light.
Deliora's fist crashed into the ground where I had been standing.
The impact created a crater.
I reappeared above its shoulder and swung my Light Sword.
SLASH!
A brilliant cut opened across its flesh.
Deliora looked at the wound.
Then laughed.
"You call that an attack?"
The wound began closing.
Flesh knitted together almost instantly.
Laxus' eyes widened.
"It regenerates."
"Of course I do," Deliora said proudly. "Do you think ordinary attacks can stop me?"
I looked at the wound.
The regeneration was absurdly fast.
Then I noticed something.
The wound from my Light Sword wasn't closing.
The edges were glowing faintly.
Deliora looked down.
Its smile disappeared.
"What…?"
I raised my sword.
"My Light isn't ordinary."
The glow intensified.
Holy Light burned through the wound.
Deliora roared.
"AAAGH!"
The sound shook the valley.
The wound refused to heal.
I smiled.
"Interesting."
Deliora glared at me.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing special."
I pointed my sword at its chest.
"My Light just doesn't like creatures like you."
Deliora's expression darkened.
I could feel it.
The Light wasn't merely damaging it.
It was interfering with its ability to recover.
Its regeneration was being suppressed wherever my magic touched it.
For the first time, Deliora looked genuinely irritated and a little scared.
"You little brat."
It swung its arm.
I disappeared.
The fist missed me by several meters and smashed into the ground.
Laxus appeared above Deliora.
"Lightning Dragon's Roar!"
A massive stream of lightning crashed into its back.
Deliora staggered.
I appeared beside it.
My Light Sword flashed.
SLASH!
Another wound opened.
Holy Light burned through the flesh.
Deliora roared.
It turned toward me.
"You!"
I smiled.
"Me."
It swung.
I ducked.
The claws passed over my head.
My magical perception caught every movement.
The shift of its shoulder.
The tension in its muscles.
The change in its magical flow.
I moved before the attack fully developed.
Not future sight.
Just reading its body.
I stepped inside its reach.
One slash.
Two.
Three.
Light flashed repeatedly.
Deliora's body was covered in glowing wounds.
Normally, those wounds would have closed almost instantly.
They didn't.
Deliora's expression changed.
"You…"
It touched one of the wounds.
The holy Light continued burning.
Its regeneration struggled against it.
"You're stopping my healing."
"Looks like it."
Deliora roared.
Its entire body erupted with dark magic.
The pressure threw me backward.
I transformed into Light before hitting the ground.
Laxus appeared beside me.
"That thing's pissed."
"Good."
Deliora charged.
This time, Laxus intercepted it.
Lightning exploded around his body.
"Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist!"
His fist slammed into Deliora's jaw.
BOOM!
The monster's head snapped sideways.
Laxus followed with another punch.
Then another.
Lightning coated his arms as he attacked relentlessly.
Deliora finally caught his arm.
"You're mine!"
It swung him into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth cracked.
"LAXUS!"
I appeared above Deliora.
"Hey!"
Deliora looked up.
A dozen Light Swords were already floating behind me.
"Over here."
The swords launched.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
They pierced into Deliora's shoulders, arms and legs.
Holy Light exploded from every impact.
Deliora roared.
I raised both hands.
"Light Chains!"
Chains of brilliant Light erupted from the ground.
One wrapped around its leg.
Then another around its arm.
Then another around its waist.
Within seconds, dozens of chains covered Deliora.
Enkidu. That was the name I gave to these light chains.Cliche but meh who cares.
Deliora looked down at the chains.
"What is this?"
"Something to keep you still."
It laughed.
"You think chains can hold me?"
It pulled.
The ground cracked.
The chains stretched.
I poured more magic into them.
They brightened.
Deliora pulled harder.
Several chains snapped.
But the remaining ones held.
Laxus rose from the crater.
Blood ran down his forehead.
He wiped it away.
"You done?"
I grinned.
"Not even close."
Lightning exploded around him.
He launched forward.
"Lightning Dragon's Claw!"
His lightning-covered kick slammed into Deliora's ribs.
The monster staggered.
I released the chains.
Light flashed.
I appeared directly in front of Deliora.
My Light Sword moved.
SLASH!
A deep wound opened across its chest.
Holy Light burned inside it.
Deliora screamed.
"AAAAARGH!"
The sound echoed through the valley.
Far behind us, Ur watched with narrowed eyes.
"So that's the effect of Elior's Light magic."
Gildarts nodded.
"Deliora's regeneration is keeping it alive."
He looked toward Elior.
"But Elior's magic is preventing those wounds from closing."
Ultear stared.
"Then his Light is especially dangerous to Deliora."
"Exactly."
Gray clenched his fists.
"But Deliora is still fighting."
"That's what makes it terrifying," Ur said.
The monster suddenly tore itself free from the remaining chains.
Its muscles expanded with dark magic.
The chains shattered.
Deliora raised both fists.
"ENOUGH!"
It slammed them into the ground.
The entire valley exploded.
A shockwave ripped outward.
Laxus transformed into Lightning.
I transformed into Light.
Even so, the force caught us.
I was thrown through several trees before regaining control.
Laxus crashed into a cliff.
"Laxus!"
"I'm fine!"
He pushed himself upright.
Deliora charged again.
Its body was covered in glowing wounds.
Some were beginning to heal.
Others remained open because of my Light.
It looked furious.
"You two insects!"
I raised my sword.
"Insects?"
Laxus appeared beside me.
"Apparently we're annoying insects."
I nodded.
"I've had worse insults."
Deliora roared.
It swung its arm.
We split in opposite directions.
The fist destroyed the ground between us.
I appeared behind it.
Laxus appeared in front.
We attacked simultaneously.
Lightning struck its chest.
Light cut across its back.
Deliora staggered.
I immediately understood.
Our rhythm was working.
One created the opening.
The other exploited it.
Then we switched.
Again.
And again.
Deliora was powerful enough to withstand attacks that would have destroyed most S-Class mages.
Its strength was terrifying.
Its regeneration was even worse.
But it had made one mistake.
It had underestimated us.
It had looked at two children and assumed we were easy prey.
Now it was learning otherwise.
Deliora suddenly grabbed Laxus.
His eyes widened.
"Got you."
Its fist tightened.
Laxus struggled.
"Damn it!"
I appeared beside them.
My sword flashed.
SLASH!
Holy Light tore through Deliora's wrist.
The monster released Laxus immediately.
He fell.
I caught him.
"You okay?"
He nodded.
"Yeah."
Deliora stared at its damaged hand.
The wound burned with Light.
It refused to close.
Its expression became murderous.
"You…"
I lowered Laxus onto his feet.
Deliora's voice echoed across the valley.
"I will tear you apart."
I smiled.
"Try."
Laxus grinned.
"Together?"
"Obviously."
Lightning surrounded him.
Light surrounded me.
We disappeared at the same time.
Deliora roared and charged toward us.
The valley erupted once again.
And this time, none of us were holding back.