At the end of the withered forest, the terrain rose steeply, and the ruins of the temple stood in the mountain hollow. Giant stone pillars had toppled, and the moonlight was obscured by the mountain wall, casting shadows as deep as ink.
"Perception… Shielding field… Enhanced," Christian's gelatinous surface rippled.
"Inside the temple… High energy reaction… Synchronized with… Moonlight. Suspected… 'moon drop' core."
"Aye! Guards!" Happy swooped down, urgent with his report.
"Blue hair! Ice Block Man! So fierce!"
Under the broken archway of the temple, a figure stood alone, with icy blue long hair, a pale face, and empty eyes.
Cold Air emanated from him, and a thick layer of white frost condensed on the ground.
"Intruders… Stop." His voice was cold and flat.
"My name is… Boz. By Lord Deliora's command… I guard this sacred domain."
"An Ice Mage?" Gray stepped forward.
The Cold Air met his, head-on. "Interesting."
"Gray! Be careful!" Lucy warned.
"Hmph. The Ice Block Man is mine!" Gray tore off his shirt. "Ice Make… is the true style!"
"Blasphemer… Freeze." Boz raised his hand.
Cold Air erupted! "Frost Nova!"
Boom! A circular ice explosion spread rapidly! Everything in its path was frozen!
"Ice Make: Shield Wall!" Gray pushed his palms forward! A thick ice wall rose from the ground!
Bang!!! The ice explosion hit the shield! Shards of ice shot out! Cracks spread across the shield wall!
"Strength… not bad." Gray sneered.
"But… too crude!" He clapped his hands together! "Ice Make: Lancer!"
Countless Ice Cone/Spikes pierced through the shield wall! Raining down on Boz!
Boz was expressionless. He lightly tapped his fingertip. "Ice Coffin."
Buzz! Cold Air condensed! Diamond-shaped ice shields appeared out of thin air! Precisely blocking the ice lances! Clanging sounds filled the air!
"Freeze." Boz waved his other hand! The Cold Air bypassed the ice shields! Turning into chains that wrapped around Gray's feet!
"Petty tricks!" Gray stomped his foot! The Cold Air recoiled! Shattering the chains!
"Let me show you… true Molding Magic!" He leaped up! Clasping his palms together! Magic power surged! "Ice Make: Battle Axe!"
A giant ice hammer smashed down from above! Powerful and heavy!
Boz looked up, a faint blue light flickering in his empty eyes. "Replication… complete."
He raised his hand, and Cold Air surged!
A frost battle axe, identical in form and size, instantly condensed! From bottom to top! It collided head-on!
Rumble!!!
The two giant hammers exploded in mid-air! Ice shards flew like a blizzard! The shockwave collapsed half of the archway!
"What?!" Gray staggered upon landing, incredulous.
"Replicate… my magic?"
"Analysis: Target 'Boz'… Magic power characteristic… 'Mirror Replication'." Christian's core spun rapidly.
"Gray, your attack pattern… can be replicated. You need to change tactics."
"Switch!" Natsu couldn't hold back! "Fire Dragon's…"
"Natsu! Don't be reckless!" Erza stopped him.
"His replication… might be limitless!"
Too late! Natsu's fiery fist had already slammed towards Boz's face!
Boz raised his hand. A vortex of Cold Air formed in his palm! "Mirror… Absorption."
Whoosh! The flames vanished like a mud ox entering the sea! Completely swallowed by the Cold Air vortex! Not a single injury! The vortex then spewed out! A condensed stream of flames shot directly at Natsu! It was clearly a compressed version of the "Fire Dragon's Roar"!
"What?!" Natsu narrowly dodged with a roll! The flames grazed him! The scorching heat was real!
"Physical attacks… Magic attacks… Both can be replicated… Reflected…" Christian's gelatinous surface fluctuated.
"Threat level… increased. Weakness analysis… in progress."
"This is annoying! Watch me!" Lucy gritted her teeth, seeing the melting ice water.
"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"
"Little Dried Fish! You're so noisy!" Aquarius appeared, roaring furiously! A giant wave emerged from thin air! "Drown him!"
The towering floodwaters swept away the ruins! Swallowing Boz!
Boz's figure was engulfed by the giant wave. But the next second! The water surface rapidly froze! Turning into a giant iceberg! Aquarius's water flow was actually frozen and trapped!
On top of the iceberg, Boz stood on the ice, his Cold Air even more intense.
"Water… can also… become ice."
Aquarius was instantly shattered into starlight, retreating back to the Spirit World.
"Aquarius!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Restriction Release!" Aquarius was furious! The water flow became violent! The inside of the iceberg burst apart!
Boz leaped off the ice, and the Cold Air reformed upon landing.
"No… long-range magic… close-range physical… both will be replicated and countered…" Lucy was anxious.
"Let me!" Erza drew her greatsword!
"Re-equip! Purgatory Armor!" Dark red heavy armor covered her body! Flame patterns burned! Magic resistance soared! She stepped forward, charging! The greatsword dragged on the ground! Sparks flew! "Close combat! Force him to his limits!"
The greatsword, imbued with a fierce wind, slashed horizontally at his waist! The ultimate in power and speed!
Boz's eyes flickered slightly, and Cold Air condensed into a sword! Identical in form and texture to the Purgatory Greatsword! The two swords clashed!
Clang!!! A piercing clang! The air current sent shattered stones flying!
Erza's sword strikes were continuous! Chop, hack, thrust, stab! An overwhelming offensive! Boz's ice sword flew! Precisely blocking! Replicating Erza's sword skills! He wasn't at a disadvantage in the slightest!
"So strong… He can even replicate Erza's sword skills…" Gray was shocked.
"Replication… has a delay." Christian's core processed at high speed, capturing every detail of the clash.
"His actual magic power… output peak… lags behind Erza Scarlet… by 0.3 seconds. And… the replicated body… strength… decreases by 5%."
"Weakness?" Natsu asked urgently.
"Oversaturated attack… breaks through the replication threshold." Christian's gelatinous surface boiled.
"Natsu Dragneel. Gray Fullbuster."
"Target: Synchronized attack! Calculation: Erza as captain… main attack from the front. Natsu… right flank flame explosion. Gray… left flank Ice Cone/Spike penetration. Timing… by me… Countdown!"
"Understood!" Natsu and Gray roared in unison. Magic power condensed!
Erza's greatsword slashed again! Boz's ice sword blocked! The moment the replicated body formed!
"Three!" Christian counted down!
Erza's sword strike deepened! Changing from a slash to a press! Full power unleashed! Locking the ice sword tightly!
"Two!" Boz's Cold Air surged rapidly! Attempting to condense a counterattack! But was slightly delayed by the greatsword's suppression!
"One!" "Now!"
"Fire Dragon's… Crushing Fist!!!" Natsu's right fist exploded with flames! Striking Boz's ribs!
"Ice Make: Ice Demon's Piercing Spear!" Gray pushed his left palm forward! A spiraling ice spear tore through the air! Piercing his back!
Boz's pupils constricted! Cold Air erupted frantically! Attempting to simultaneously replicate two completely different attacks!
The ice shield on the left had just formed! Natsu's explosive flames had already arrived! Shattering the ice shield! The scorching punch penetrated his body!
The ice wall on the right had not yet solidified! Gray's spiraling ice spear had already arrived! Piercing through the ice wall! The chilling edge was bone-piercing!
Boom! Poof!
Flames exploded! The ice spear pierced his body! Boz's body shook violently! Blood mixed with ice shards splattered! The replication magic was forcibly interrupted! Cold Air dissipated!
"Suc…cess…" Lucy held her breath.
Boz staggered backward. His icy blue long hair was stained with blood. His empty eyes showed a flicker of emotion for the first time. He looked towards the depths of the temple, his lips moving. Finally, his body was covered in frost, solidifying into a statue.
"He was looking… into the temple at the end…" Happy wondered.
"Analysis:" Christian scanned the statue. "Deep within the temple… High energy reaction… continuously strengthening. 'moon drop'… nearing completion."
The team stepped into the temple, its interior vast, with a shattered dome. Moonlight poured down like a pillar.
In the very center, a giant purple crystal floated in mid-air, runes flowing across its surface, greedily absorbing the moonlight and emitting an ominous purple glow.
Below the crystal, a complex magic circle flickered, connected to… a giant humanoid silhouette, bound by heavy chains and slumbering! Its shadow blotted out the sky! The mere pressure emanating from its slumber was suffocating!
"Deliora…" Erza tightened her grip on her sword hilt, her eyes incredibly solemn.
"The legendary demon… truly… exists."
"moon drop… Ritual core… Locked." Christian pointed at the purple crystal.
"Destroying the crystal… can interrupt… the ritual."
"How do we do that?" Natsu asked.
"Crystal structure… High magic resistance." Christian's core spun rapidly.
"Physical impact… Magic bombardment… Inefficient. Requires internal destruction. Requires… high energy… precise injection… to disrupt its… energy circuit."
"Internal?" Lucy looked around. "How do we get in?"
"I will… execute." Christian's gelatinous surface ascended.
"'Fluid Permeation'… can temporarily… invade the crystal structure. 'Predator'… can attempt… to internally… dismantle the energy flow."
"Too dangerous!" Lucy said anxiously. "What if…"
"Success rate… 68%." Christian interrupted. "Time… is critical. The ritual… is about to be completed."
"I'll cover you!" Erza pointed her greatsword skyward! "Re-equip! Ten Commandments Lances!" Golden light burst forth! Ten holy lances floated! "Natsu! Gray! Clear the area! Lucy! Prepare your Celestial Spirits!"
"Aye! Guards are coming!" Happy shrieked.
In the shadows of the temple! Dozens of black-robed figures silently appeared! Their magic power was cold and sinister! Their eyes fanatical! "For Lord Deliora!!!"
"Don't even think about interfering!" Natsu and Gray roared, charging forward! Flames and ice exploded!
"Open, Gate of the Southern Cross! Horologium!" Lucy summoned the elderly Celestial Spirit. "Horologium! Divine… the crystal's weakness!"
"Leave it to me, Lucy-chan!" Horologium spread out his star chart.
"Its interior is the weakness!"
Christian transformed into a deep blue stream of light! Shooting directly at the purple crystal in mid-air! The gelatinous substance touched the crystal's surface! Ripples spread! Like a drop of water merging into a sponge! Instantly disappearing inside!
Boom!!!
The purple crystal's light surged! It trembled violently! Inside… deep blue and purple light fiercely clashed!
"Chris!!!" Lucy's heart was in her throat.
Horologium's star chart spun rapidly. "Found it! Energy node… Southeast… three o'clock position!"
Erza's eyes flashed with brilliance! The Ten Commandments Lances simultaneously adjusted! Locking onto the node! "Holy Light… Purify!!!"
Ten pure white torrents! Tearing through the darkness! Precisely striking!