The temple's mountaintop.
Grey charged out of the cave first, and the sight before him made him gasp sharply.
The mountaintop had been transformed into a massive circular platform, its ground etched with glowing magical runes; dozens of people in black robes sat around the edge of the magic circle, keeping it operational.
"Are you the ones causing trouble? You bastards trying to liberate Dailiora!"
Following closely, Naz let out a roar, his fist igniting with flames.
Grey's gaze, however, was fixed on the figure opposite the magic circle—a tall man clad in a white cloak and wearing a helmet.
"Lord Zero! Intruders!"
When Elusa and Lucy arrived, the black‑robed figures had already drawn their weapons, watching them warily. The 'Zero' they spoke of was precisely the helmeted man.
Lucy glanced over and saw that the opposition numbered at least thirty, consisting of a formidable gang leader, three sub‑leaders, and the rest black‑robed fighters brandishing sharp weapons.
On our side, there were only four lively youths, plus a cute little blue cat.
It felt like we were terrifyingly outmatched.
That's the confidence Elusa gave Lucy.
Last time, this lineup easily wiped out the Iron Forest.
Elusa, unaware of Lucy's thoughts, stepped forward, ignoring the black‑robed crowd, her sharp gaze fixed on Zero, "You're the mastermind behind the unsealing of Dailiora, and we're here to end it all."
"End?"
Zero snorted coldly, as if hearing a joke, "You kind of riffraff? Before bragging, take a look in the mirror and see what you really are."
"Lord Zero, they seem to be 'Fairy Tail' mages..." a black‑robed man whispered.
"Hmph! So what if they're from Fairy Tail?"
"Indeed, Lord Zero, you are invincible!"
"These guys definitely can't beat Lord Zero!"
The black‑robed man said a line before being countered three times by the three sub‑leaders, yet he meekly continued, "But that red‑haired person... is an S‑rank mage of Fairy Tail, the 'Fairy Queen' Elusa."
The three sub‑leaders fell silent instantly; everyone in the magical world would have heard of the rising 'Fairy Queen' of the past two years.
They were confident in Lord Zero's strength.
But the 'Fairy Queen' opposite seemed even more formidable... The sub‑leaders' silence prompted the other black‑robed men to murmur beneath.
"What do we do? The opponent is an S‑rank mage."
"If we honestly tell the truth, will she spare us?"
"We don't stand a chance; maybe we should just surrender outright?"
"Actually I'm also a fan of the queen; I wonder if I could get her autograph later..."
"Oh, good taste."
"No, no, Miss Mirajane is the best."
"..."
The black‑robed men's chatter was low, but on the already quiet mountaintop, everyone could still hear it fairly clearly.
Elusa frowned; the opposition gave off a makeshift troupe vibe, with ordinary folks making up the majority of the black‑robed crowd.
Yet they clearly knew that the icy lump underground housed a mass‑killing great demon.
Hearing these remarks, Zero grew irritated, "Hmph, I'm the one who will defeat Dailiora; how could I possibly lose to a mere S‑rank mage!"
"Truly worthy of Lord Zero!"
"Exactly, just a petty Fairy Queen."
"Lord Zero will surely win!"
The three sub‑leaders showered flattery in rapid succession; whether it pleased Zero or not, it bolstered the black‑robed troops' confidence, and they firmly sided with him.
Elusa's relaxed brow furrowed again; what allure did Zero possess to make these people follow him so willingly?
"Naz, Grey, ease up a bit later; many of them are ordinary people."
Hearing Elusa's warning, Naz gave a heavy nod; although he often caused chaos, he rarely let ordinary folks get hurt in the process.
Heavy‑handed yet measured, that's Naz.
Grey, however, didn't answer Elusa; instead he stepped forward alone, his gaze locked on Zero, "It's you! Why… why would you do this!"
"So you finally recognized me; I should've never worn this ill‑fitting helmet."
Zero removed his helmet, revealing a handsome yet cold face. He said calmly, "Long time no see, you're still as weak as ever, Grey."
Watching the tense standoff, Lucy whispered from the side, "Grey, do you know him?"
Grey's expression turned complex as he said, "His name is Rio, he's my... senior brother. We both apprenticed under Wu Lu; we're Wu Lu's disciples."
"You have no right to mention Wu Lu's name!" Upon hearing Grey speak of his master, Zero— or Rio— instantly grew furious, losing his composure.
Grey retorted, "And you, Rio! Wu Lu sacrificed herself to seal Dailiora, yet you intend to destroy the last thing she left in this world!"
"That's because Wu Lu was too weak!"
Rio's voice rose with excitement, "If it were me, I wouldn't even need 'Absolute Ice Bind' to eliminate Dailiora! Surpassing Wu Lu is my dream!"
"So you plan to release Dailiora and then defeat it to prove you've surpassed Wu Lu? Give up; that's impossible!"
"Hmph, it's all because you recklessly seek revenge on Dailiora. Wu Lu died to save you! What right do you have to lecture me?"
The two brothers argued more fiercely, while the onlookers split into two camps, each as if holding a handful of peanuts.
Who would have thought Grey/Rio shared such a past?
Bang!
Two streams of ice collided.
Rio maintained his shaping magic with one hand, coldly saying, "I won't let you disrupt the ceremony."
"Rio!" Grey assumed a dual‑handed casting stance, "I will never let you succeed! The seal Wu Lu forged with her life, I will never allow anyone to break!"
"Then try it, Grey. Let me see how much you've progressed over the years."
At the same moment, two ice‑shaping spells launched from Grey's and Rio's hands, hurtling toward each other.
The former brothers finally met on the battlefield.
Hop stepped onto the scene just as this unfolded.
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