"Etherion?!!"
The announcement shocked nearly everyone, including Kyros, whose expression shifted noticeably.
Etherion, the ultimate weapon of destruction wielded by the Magic Council, was a force so formidable that even Kyros doubted his ability to withstand a direct hit.
However, it seemed improbable that the Etherion would target Kyros, as his speed would likely allow him to dodge any such attack.
Typically, the Etherion is used against immobile structures like the Tower of Heaven.
For Kyros, this might be a different story.
For most mages, though, the Etherion's destructive range is massive, akin to a nuclear weapon.
Once targeted, no matter how fast one runs, escaping its range is nearly impossible, leading to certain obliteration.
"Is he insane?!"
"That's Etherion! Everyone's doomed!"
"Maybe he's just bluffing," Gray suggested.
Erza replied, "Whether it's a bluff or not, people need to be rescued. We should split up to speed things up."
"Wally, Millianna, Sho, you all stay on the first floor and manage the rescued people."
Sho immediately protested, "No way! I won't let anyone lay a finger on my sister. I'll defeat Jellal myself."
Seeing Sho's determination, Erza understood that he had been deeply affected by Jellal's deceit over the years, fueling his intense hatred.
"Alright, you can stay with me. Wally and Millianna will handle the rescue and cleanup outside."
Erza was concerned that Sho's impulsiveness might be a risk, so she decided it was best for him to stay with her.
Wally and Millianna nodded in agreement.
"I'm going with Gray-sama," Juvia announced.
Gray frowned. "This isn't your concern; you don't need to get involved."
Gray continued, "If they want to harm Gray-sama, they'll have to go through me first."
Before Gray could say more, Simon interjected, "Then I'll team up with the Fire Dragon Slayer."
Natsu, determined, clenched his fist and said, "I don't know what's going on, but I need to defeat Jellal! Alright, I'm fired up!"
Lucy sighed and said, "You should listen carefully!"
"This time, I'm going to beat that guy first!!"
"Okay!"
Natsu shouted and dashed out, with "Happy" flying close behind him.
"Wait for me, Fire Dragon Slayer!" Simon hurriedly followed.
Simon was a bit anxious. With so many people gathered together, their combined power was formidable, but if they scattered, their strength would be diminished and they could be overpowered by Jellal.
It was unexpected that Jellal would be so crafty and underhanded, splitting them up like this. They were left with little recourse.
The Etherion must not falter.
Soon, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Lucy and Kyros. Lucy felt a bit unsure; it was her first time teaming up with Kyros.
However, she was also relieved to be paired with Kyros. After all, among everyone present, Kyros was undoubtedly the strongest.
The two made their way toward the top, facing numerous attackers along the way. Kyros deliberately let Lucy handle most of the fights, and Lucy used her Celestial Spirit Magic to defeat many foes.
It was during this battle that Kyros noticed something new. Even though he had known Lucy for only a short time, it was the first time he had seen her Celestial Spirits in action.
To Kyros, Celestial Spirit Magic resembled summoning magic, where the spirits' power depended on the strength of their summoner.
The stronger the summoner, the more powerful the spirits.
All the rescued individuals were gathered on the first floor, where Millianna and Wally were waiting.
As the number of people approached the required amount, a boat was prepared to depart.
"So, what do you think, Kyros? I'm strong too!" Lucy said, slightly out of breath. She was eager to contribute and didn't want to just be a bystander.
Kyros smiled and nodded. "Your magic is quite powerful. In the future, as your magical power increases, you'll be able to summon multiple Celestial Spirits at once. When these spirits work together, they can unleash even greater power, similar to fusion magic."
"The downside of summoning magic is that it relies heavily on the strength of your summons. However, you can also draw on the power of the Celestial Spirits to boost your combat abilities, which can help mitigate that weakness."
Lucy was taken aback by Kyros's words. She wondered whether Kyros was a Celestial Spirit Mage or if she was.
She wasn't sure why Kyros had said what he did. Lucy knew about opening more doors and had high standards for Celestial Spirit Mages.
Currently, she could only open a single door and wasn't sure how long it would take to open a double door.
She was also unfamiliar with the idea of borrowing the Celestial Spirits' power as Kyros described. She had always thought Celestial Spirit Mages simply summoned spirits to fight.
After reflecting on Kyros's explanation, Lucy realized it made complete sense. It was like Requip magic; as a Celestial Spirit Mage, she could indeed harness the power of the spirits.
With the strength of Taurus, she could become incredibly powerful, and with Sagittarius, she could shoot arrows with precision.
The thought of being able to fight personally was thrilling for Lucy. She admired Kyros, Natsu, and Erza for their combat prowess and felt envious of their ability to fight directly.
Kyros's words had opened a new world for her, revealing that her Celestial Spirit Magic had much more potential than she had realized.
However, Lucy understood that reaching that level would require dedicated practice.
"Kyros,"
Lucy wanted to add something more.
Kyros halted and said, "We have incoming enemies."
"Enemies?" Lucy immediately turned to look ahead.
Ahead of them was a figure approaching.
"Aha la la! la la!"
The figure hummed softly and advanced with a graceful stride, as if cherry blossoms fluttered with each step.
It was a strikingly attractive woman dressed in a white kimono.
She had long, cherry-colored hair, a long blade cradled in her arms, and wore tall wooden sandals.
Her entire presence was reminiscent of an oiran from the Fireworks Willow Alley.
"It is the young lady Ikaruga, the assassin of the Death's Head Caucus and the captain of the elite assassin team Trinity Raven, have met Kyros."