Kira and Ace locked eyes in midair, their gazes sparking like clashing lightning. For a moment, silence hung between them as both channeled their magic, sizing each other up, searching for any weakness…
Suddenly, the human and demon burst into action, their feet kicking up ripples of snow. Snowflakes sprayed chaotically into the air, swirling without pattern before drifting back down.
Their figures vanished from the ground, only to reappear in midair. Fists and forearms collided, grappling fiercely, followed by a flurry of punches and kicks—each strike a blend of raw power and practiced skill.
Amid the rhythm of fast and slow, heavy and light attacks, Ace was stunned by this human kid's combat prowess. Likewise, Kira was shocked by the sheer physical strength of this centuries-old demon.
'Man, if I hadn't switched to Close-Combat Mode beforehand, I'd be toast in a melee!'
Kira's so-called Close-Combat Mode was a specialized state he'd developed for fighting enemies strong in hand-to-hand combat. It boosted attributes like Strength, Speed, and Defense across his entire body, while also granting buffs like Critical Hit, Armor Break, Damage Reduction, and Immunity to specific areas.
He'd embedded this setup into his magical gear. In battle, activating the gear was like donning enchanted armor—no need to waste focus on casting buffs mid-fight. The gear had built-in magic storage and could draw from his own magic reserves, so energy wasn't an issue. The only potential problem? If the gear got damaged in combat. But Kira was meticulous about his equipment. Even if it broke, he could react instantly, reapplying buffs or retreating.
Erza watched the snowy battlefield, dazzled. "So fast! Since when did Kira get this good at close combat? I thought he was always weak in melee!"
Even while trading blows, Kira wasn't slacking. He knew close combat wasn't his forte—his true strength lay in magic. Sure, he'd patched up his weakness with this setup, but a fight should always play to your strengths, not pit your weak points against an enemy's strengths!
What kind of mage would brawl like a warrior? Melee mages were only legendary because they were so rare!
Seizing an opening, Kira feinted with a punch and pulled back.
Knowing his opponent was no pushover, and to avoid collateral damage in the upcoming magical clash, Kira had subtly maneuvered Ace away from the tavern during their twenty-minute melee.
Ace, thinking Kira was tiring out, taunted, "What's wrong, kid? Done already? I haven't even warmed up!"
"Not warmed up? Let's heat things up then!" Kira unleashed his Word Magic. "Blazing Inferno!"
Blazing Inferno drew inspiration from legends of the Eight Hells, though it wasn't directly connected. It was a wide-range spell that created a domain of fire and scorching heat, like a literal hell of flames.
Snow evaporated, ice melted, and steam rose, revealing soil and stone buried for millennia. Zonia, a land of eternal snow, was suddenly engulfed in a sea of fire!
Winter turned to summer in an instant. The drastic temperature shift created invisible currents of hot and cold air. Even Erza, the Fairy Queen, standing far away, sneezed from the clash of elements.
She'd always known Kira was strong, but she hadn't imagined he could conjure a literal sea of fire in a snowy mountain. "This is practically super-magic level… Has Kira gotten this powerful?"
In the distance, Natsu, Gray, and Happy, unable to find the demons' bodies, were rushing back. Halfway there, they spotted a dark red sea of flames in the distance.
The fire roared into the sky, outshining even the sun, which had just reemerged after an eclipse, casting their faces in a fiery glow.
"What the heck is that?! It's so hot! The snow around it's melting!" Gray yanked off his coat.
Happy, tongue lolling, gasped, "Natsu, this fire feels hotter than your flames!"
"Such weird fire! I've never seen flames like this… Why are they here?" Natsu said, puzzled.
Gray shrugged. "Who knows? But those demons were water-based, so it's definitely not their magic."
Happy ventured a guess. "Wait, could it be Kira?"
"Totally possible! His magic can do just about anything!" Natsu agreed.
"That's toward the tavern. Does that mean the demon attacked, and Kira's fighting it?"
"Probably! Let's hurry back!"
Natsu grinned as he ran. "This fire's insane! If I could eat it, I bet I could take down that demon!"
"Big talk for someone who barely handled that mist demon earlier…" Gray shot back.
"Hmph! Next time, I'll crush it solo!"
…
Not far behind them, Wendy was racing back.
"Didn't expect absorbing those two souls to take so long, but with this power, I might actually be able to beat that demon—or at least help out!"
Huh? What's that? A sea of fire in the snow? Is that magic? It's incredible!
Wait… that's near my house!
Oh no! Uncle! And the others… they're okay, right?
Since it's fire, it can't be the demon's power. Is it Kira?
Having seen Kira fight before, Wendy instantly recognized his magic.
"Creating a whole sea of fire? That's ridiculous! But it also means he's facing that demon, right?"
With that thought, Wendy picked up her pace.
…
Meanwhile, deep in Zonia, a burly man with a pack on his back and a cloak over his shoulders trudged through the snow.
"According to rumors, there are dragons and demons around here. But I've been walking forever and haven't seen a trace. Was the intel wrong?"
With short orange hair, a stubbled chin, and a sturdy build, this man was none other than Gildarts, Fairy Tail's strongest mage, who'd been away on a century-long mission for nearly three years.
A sudden gust of clashing air caught his attention. "Hm? Something's going on over there."
Thinking it might be related to his mission, Gildarts decided to check it out.
The closer he got, the more he sensed something unusual about the fighters ahead. When he saw two distinct, tangible auras—one fiery red, the other icy blue—he was stunned.
"These magic signatures are weird. One's unnaturally cold, and the other… feels oddly familiar…"
Could it be someone he knew? Nah, no way I'd run into a familiar face in a place like this.
The fire mage Gildarts knew best was Natsu, but this magic was different, and Natsu didn't have this kind of power.
"Guess I'll go take a look!"
…
The Zonia Mountains were vast, so vast that people could wander without crossing paths. Yet they were also small enough that a single battle could draw the attention of everyone within.
In another direction, another powerful presence was stirred by the clash of ice and fire.
A dark-skinned figure with long blue hair, draped in a black cloak, rose slowly and stepped out of a pitch-black cave he'd lingered in for who-knows-how-long.
Then, a calm, cold voice echoed: "I smell something… repulsive."