Inside the Tartaros base, the flames of war raged.
To wipe out the dark forces hidden within the magical world, the Magic Council's soldiers fought without fear of death. To bring the deepest despair to humanity, the demon soldiers killed everyone in sight. As soon as the two sides clashed, the soldiers used every skill at their disposal, engaging in the most perilous combat.
For a time, colorful magic circles rose one after another, and spells of water, fire, wind, lightning, earth, and wood flew through the air. The clashing of blades and the sounds of wailing and screaming filled the ears, causing the wizards' blood to pump with restless excitement.
"Rage of the Ice Demon!!"
A heavy shout suddenly resounded across the battlefield. Immediately afterward, a surge of pink ice energy swept through the field like a tornado. Wherever it passed, the demons fell as if meeting their natural enemy, completely powerless to resist. With just one encounter, they were blasted into a half-dead state, unable to fight further.
Ice Devil Slayer Magic!
Its user was none other than Silver Fullbuster!
Over a decade ago, when magic academies began springing up like mushrooms, Silver set out on a journey for education to gain the power to protect his village. Later, through a chance encounter, he unexpectedly inherited Ice Devil Slayer Magic. Over the years, he had devoted himself to mastering this magic and had grown into the ranks of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of the Royal Capital Magic Academy, proving his immense talent.
However, opportunities to face actual demons had been far too rare in the past to verify if Devil Slayer Magic was truly effective. Until today...
"Ice-Make: Rose Garden!!"
With another light shout, countless flowers made of freezing ice, along with stems, leaves, and vines, erupted from the ground. With incredible speed, they ruthlessly pierced the bodies of the demons, hoisting them into mid-air. Although the demons' bodies were skewered, they did not die instantly. Some remained conscious, desperately smashing their weapons against the magnificent ice flowers. However, the ice was harder than steel; no matter how hard they struck, they couldn't chip off a single crystal. They could only struggle until their strength gradually faded.
Ur walked up to the demons she had suspended and glanced at the demons Silver had killed nearby, her brow furrowing. Although Ice-Make Magic was technically countered by Ice Devil Slayer Magic in terms of elemental property, Ur usually surpassed Silver in casting speed, the hardness of her ice, and overall destructive power.
Yet today, she had lost in terms of lethality. Even after being pierced by "Rose Garden," the demons survived, but if they were even grazed by "Rage of the Ice Demon," they were instantly wiped out.
"So, your 'Ice Devil Slayer Magic' really does have a restraining effect on demons?"
"I actually thought you made that up..."
Hearing Ur's words, the corners of Silver's mouth couldn't help but turn up. He finally got his chance to show off today!
"How could it be made up?!"
"Haven't you seen Serena's Dragon Slayer Magic? Since his Dragon Slayer Magic is real, why can't my Devil Slayer Magic be real too?"
Ur's mouth twitched. "I've never seen him fight a dragon with his Dragon Slayer Magic either!"
That's true.
"Anyway, this is a rare opportunity. Let me show you what I can do today!!"
"Let the Council soldiers in the back see that I didn't join the 'Seven Kin' just because of my face!"
As Silver spoke, he dashed toward the front lines. Raising both hands, he unleashed his Ice Devil Slayer Magic upon the demon army to his heart's content.
"Ice Demon's Snow Cannon!!"
In an instant, ice condensed into a massive pink-and-white cannon. Silver hoisted the cannon onto his shoulder, aimed the muzzle directly at the surging demons, adjusted his aim, and pulled the trigger with a click.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"ARGH!!" "UWAA!!"
The roar of the giant cannon echoed one after another, shaking heaven and earth. Under Silver's relentless bombardment, the rushing demons were instantly blown to pieces. However, no blood flowed from their wounds; instead, faint black smoke continuously drifted outward.
"What is this black smoke? Why is this happening?"
While Silver was secretly puzzled, fearing it was another demonic trick, Descartes walked over. With just a glance at the scene, he understood.
"Don't worry about the black smoke. You can view it as the manifestation of the demons' life force dissipating."
"Huh???"
Seeing Silver still looked confused, Descartes explained in more detail: "The demons of Tartaros were all created by Zeref using Black Magic. They aren't true living beings in essence, so when they're injured, they naturally won't bleed like normal creatures."
"...I see."
Just then, the ground suddenly let out a loud clunk.
"Hmm?? What happened??"
Silver, Ur, Bluenote, and the others immediately felt a slight abnormality. They looked around warily, but found nothing. Only Descartes understood the situation.
"The gravity of the ground has changed!"
"The enemy changed the gravity of 'Alegria.' This way, I can finally deactivate the 'Inversion Gravity Field' I set up earlier and relax a bit!"
"However, since this change occurred, it means Gildarts and the others are putting pressure on the enemy in the internal battlefield, forcing them to open a new battlefield to divert firepower."
"At the same time, the 'Nine Demon Gates' should be making their move. Everyone, be careful!!"
Among the "Seven Kin of the Holy Knights," Gildarts and Serena were primarily responsible for offense, Ur and Silver for support, and Descartes for the most important tactical decisions—acting as the brain of the team. Having collaborated for over half a year and executed hundreds of missions, Descartes always made the correct judgments no matter how complex the task, so the team trusted him implicitly.
Hearing Descartes' warning, everyone sharpened their focus. Suddenly, several massive explosions erupted from up ahead! The roaring sounds drew closer, and the Council's magic soldiers were sent flying through the air like rotten cabbage leaves and spoiled eggs—a truly pitiful sight.
"Are they finally here?"
"Perfect. I've been tired of waiting!"
Just as the words fell, six figures abruptly appeared ahead. Descartes' gaze narrowed as he instantly identified the newcomers—they were the members of the Nine Demon Gates: Torafuzar, Ezel, Keyes, Tempester, Jackal, and Deliora!!
Silver's eyes swept over the demons, and he let out a breath. "Looks like the numbers are just right!"
Layla tilted her head, looking over with confusion. "The enemy has six elite demons, and there are only five of the 'Seven Kin' here including me. No matter how you look at it, we're outnumbered, right?"
"Seems you didn't catch his meaning." Descartes lightly patted Layla's shoulder and pulled her back.
"Silver means he'll fight three by himself, and the three of us will take one each!"
"You stay in the back and cheer!"