"Do you know us?" Su Yan asked coldly.
Ezel grinned. "A little. After all, the demons of the Book of Zeref are infamous among humans."
"Ahaha! Five Swords of the World – Onimaru!"
Ezel crossed his arms, then snapped them open, releasing a massive cross-shaped slash that tore through the ground toward Su Yan.
BOOM!
The earth split apart, but Su Yan calmly raised his palm. Armament Haki surged over his skin, forming an impenetrable wall.
BOOM BOOM—!!
When the smoke cleared, Su Yan stood without a scratch.
"You actually blocked my attack… you're strong, human!" Ezel sneered.
"You're weak," Su Yan said flatly. "I'm not interested in playing with you."
"What did you say?!" Ezel's face twisted in rage at being dismissed like trash.
Su Yan's palm glowed—Haki flaring—and a massive black sword materialized in the air.
"You use swords too? Then I'll cut yours to pieces!"
Five Swords of the World – Shuzhu Wan!
Ezel's slash met Su Yan's blade. The two forces clashed violently, shattering both attacks in a thunderous explosion.
"Ughhh!" Ezel screamed as the blast flung him through a wall.
CRASH!
He emerged from the rubble moments later, battered but grinning. "Interesting! My spell is the Demon Sword—it can cut through anything!"
His body shifted, four arms transforming into massive blades, his skin turning to steel. "Slashing Mode! Now my swords are even sharper!"
Su Yan didn't bother answering. He summoned another storm of Haki-forged blades and sent them flying.
Ezel charged, his four swords cleaving through the barrage. "Useless! There's nothing my Demon Sword can't cut!"
In a blink, he was on Su Yan, bringing one blade down at his neck—
CLANG!
The sound of metal striking metal rang out.
Ezel's eyes widened. "What?!" His blade hadn't even broken the skin—Su Yan's neck had turned jet-black with Armament Haki.
"No! Impossible! My sword can't fail!"
In the next instant, Su Yan's left hand clamped over Ezel's head and slammed him into the ground.
BOOM!
The floor cracked beneath the impact. Ezel screamed in pain.
Su Yan lifted him effortlessly, his right hand forming a knife-hand strike. Haki and the crackling aura of Conqueror's overlapped, turning his palm into a weapon of pure destruction.
"Instant Sever."
SHNK!
Su Yan's arm punched through Ezel's steel-hard chest as if it were paper. The demon stared down at the wound in disbelief before his body went limp.
Su Yan dropped him without a second glance. "The demons of the Book of Zeref all deserve to die."
The Tartaros soldiers watching were frozen in shock.
"L-Lord Ezel was… killed?!"
Before they could react, Su Yan's killing intent washed over them like a crushing wave.
Deep in the underground lab, Ezel's broken body floated in a regeneration tank.
"Lamy!! Hurry and bring me back! I'll kill him—KILL HIM!!"
"Lord Ezel?!" Lamy gasped.
Back on the battlefield, three figures appeared before Su Yan—Minerva, and the newly restored Tempest and Jackal.
Su Yan's eyes flicked to Minerva. Her form had changed, but he recognized her instantly.
They glanced at Ezel's corpse, their expressions darkening.
"Who the hell are you?" Jackal demanded.
Before Su Yan could speak, Minerva answered. "The strongest wizard in Fairy Tail—Su Yan."
Jackal and Tempest narrowed their eyes. If Minerva called him the strongest, then this man's strength was beyond question.
"Minerva," Su Yan said evenly, "looks like you've joined Tartaros."
"That's right," she replied with a cruel smile. "You took the title of strongest from Sabertooth. I joined the strongest dark guild to take revenge on you and Fairy Tail. I didn't expect the chance to come so soon."
"Opportunity?" Su Yan's gaze hardened. "Back then, during the Grand Magic Games, I spared your life because it was just a contest. But this is war. If you fight me and Fairy Tail now… are you ready to die?"