Su Yan's body radiated an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki, the force rolling across the battlefield like a living storm. Minerva felt her breath catch—this wasn't just intimidation; this was power that could shake even veteran mages to their core.
"The mere human who dares to break into Tartaros—die!!" Jackal snarled. His hatred for Fairy Tail burned hotter than ever. Once he killed this man, he would hunt down that "fireball" Natsu and the "blue cat" Happy and end them properly.
"Blast Spiral!!!"
BOOM BOOM—!!
A massive spiral explosion swallowed Su Yan whole.
"What an explosion…" Minerva thought, eyeing Jackal. So this is the strength of a demon from the Book of Zeref.
Jackal laughed madly. "Hahaha! Blast! Blast!!"
"Don't be too quick to celebrate," Minerva warned coldly. "That man is no ordinary mage—he's Fairy Tail's strongest wizard."
A deep hum resonated from within the blast, and the smoke ripped apart under a surge of force.
Su Yan emerged without a single scratch.
"What—no way…" Jackal stammered.
"Explosion magic? You must be the one Natsu killed before… and you came back? Then I'll kill you again," Su Yan said, vanishing from sight.
Tempest reacted instantly, spitting a fierce burst of wind. A tornado roared toward Su Yan, halting his charge. Su Yan swatted it aside with a single palm, his gaze locking onto Tempest.
"You're the one who injured Laxus," Su Yan said, voice low. "That's reason enough for me to kill you."
"God Foot!!"
He stepped forward—and in that instant, his figure blurred like teleportation. His fist crashed toward Tempest.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The blow tore through Tartaros's headquarters, carving a massive hole through the fortress. The entire structure trembled under the shockwave.
Only Minerva's teleportation magic had saved Tempest from being obliterated on the spot.
"So… you've chosen their side," Su Yan said, his voice like steel. "That means you die too."
"Stop holding back and use everything you've got!" Minerva barked to Jackal and Tempest. "This man's a monster!"
Both demons, now fully aware of the danger, transformed into their Etherious forms—Jackal's humanoid frame twisting into a jackal-headed beast, Tempest's body pulsing with demonic wind.
"It's all trash," Su Yan muttered. Crimson light and violet lightning coiled around him, Armament Haki encasing his entire body.
"Burst!!!" Jackal roared, unleashing another explosion.
Flames and wind fused into a raging firestorm around Su Yan.
"Om—!"
His Haki flared, blasting the storm apart.
Jackal lunged, every punch detonating on contact. Tempest struck from the opposite side, their combined assault like a continuous bombardment. Yet even together, they were driven back—Su Yan's raw power simply dwarfed theirs.
A single surge of his Haki sent them both skidding across the ground.
"Haha! Everything you touch turns into a bomb—count how many times you hit me!" Jackal jeered.
Su Yan glanced at his arm—several glowing curse marks pulsed faintly.
BOOM—!!
The marks exploded in a chain reaction, but when the smoke cleared, Su Yan stood untouched.
Jackal's eyes widened. "That's… impossible."
Su Yan's gaze shifted to Minerva. She quickly conjured a space shockwave, hurling it at him.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
He walked straight through it, closing the distance.
"Space Guardian!!" Minerva cast, forming an Absolute Space barrier.
Su Yan's fist slammed into it—
KACHA KACHA—!!
Cracks webbed across the barrier before it shattered entirely.
"What—?! Even after becoming a demon, I…" Minerva's voice broke as Su Yan's punch sent her flying.
In a blink, he was after her. Minerva teleported away—but Su Yan followed instantly. She remembered too late: his Observation Haki could track her every move.
"Ah—!"
A shape appeared in her place—Jackal, teleported unwillingly into the path of Su Yan's attack.
Jackal realized instantly what Minerva had done. She'd switched places to save herself—leaving him in her stead.