The arrival of the Zodiac completely ignited the Celestial Spirits' morale.
Loke, or rather, Leo, that usually unreliable flirt, turned out to be hiding a surprisingly powerful inspiration skill.
Standing proudly atop the mountain, he spread his arms and unleashed "Lion King's Radiance."
The golden light cascaded across the battlefield, bathing the Celestial Spirits in its glow, and their strength soared instantly.
If Phatret hadn't stolen a portion of their power earlier through the Celestial Spirit Keys, that single move might have sealed victory then and there.
"Libra! Pisces!"
"Understood!"
Libra and Pisces already shared perfect synchronization with Yukino. On the aerial front, they worked with effortless precision.
Libra's gravity magic dragged down flying enemies, and the Pisces mother-and-child duo struck cleanly to finish them off.
"Sagittarius! Take down the targets in the air first."
"Gemini."
Erza's lips curved into a smile. "Transform into me."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Sagittarius's bowstring thrummed as arrows streaked across the sky, each shot punctuated by another shrieking thrush, hornet, or vulture plummeting to the ground.
Meanwhile, Gemini shimmered, taking on Erza's form, and then there were two Erzas charging downhill, twin whirlwinds cutting through the enemy ranks like tigers in a flock of sheep.
"This is… honestly terrifying," Gray muttered, watching the pair of crimson knights wreak havoc. His expression was a mix of awe and unease.
Taurus snorted, steam curling from his nostrils. "Terrifying? This is awesome! Two Miss Erzas, both perfect figures! That Gemini guy… I envy him!"
"Shrimp~" snipped Cancer, clicking his scissors playfully. "Maybe I should give them matching haircuts so we can tell them apart?"
Gray sighed, rubbing his temple. "How does Lucy talk to you guys without losing her mind? Whatever, just fight."
Taurus hefted his massive axe and charged after the Erzas, while Cancer darted nimbly between foes, twin shears flashing as he sliced through enemy weapons like ribbons.
"Capricorn! Scorpio! We'll split up!" Natsu shouted, already racing forward.
Capricorn adjusted his glasses with calm dignity. "Mr. Natsu, one should maintain proper formation on the battlefield."
"Yeah~," drawled Scorpio, striking a dramatic pose. "Spacing out makes it easier to cover each other."
"Shut it! Didn't Loke say you're supposed to listen to me? Then charge!"
The two reluctantly followed. They'd wanted to remind him that Celestial Spirit Mages should stay close enough for coordination, but looking at Natsu's fiery grin, they knew there was no point.
On another ridge, Wendy faced her pair of Spirits. "I'm sorry, Miss Aries, Miss Virgo… my magic isn't as strong as everyone else's."
Aries nervously rubbed her hands together. "I-I'm sorry too! It's my fault, I'm too weak."
Virgo, completely unfazed, offered Wendy a whip. "Would you like to punish us, little princess?"
"L-Little… princess?" Wendy's face turned crimson.
Lucy jumped in immediately. "I've never punished you two!"
Before she could argue further, Aquarius grabbed her by the collar and started dragging her away.
"Come on. We're going that way."
"Eh?! Why toward Natsu's side?!" Lucy protested. "Can't we go with Mr. Rhodes, or even Erza?!"
Aquarius's temper flared. "Because that idiot is charging right where the enemy's thickest! I'm not letting him get himself killed!"
Natsu's distant voice shouted, "Why are you not letting me off?!"
"I heard he's your boyfriend!" Aquarius snapped.
"He's not!" Lucy blushed furiously. "Who's spreading that nonsense?!"
"Aye!" chirped Happy, perched atop the shoulder of a pink mechanical bear. "Carla! Look! I learned Star Spirit Magic! I'm stronger now!"
Carla crossed her tiny arms with an exasperated sigh. "You haven't learned anything. Loke said it's only a temporary contract. The Star Spirit has to cooperate for it to even work."
"Aye…?"
Carla ignored Happy's nonsense and turned her sharp gaze toward the Celestial Spirit she'd summoned.
"I said, how long are you going to keep sulking? It's time to fight!"
Before her stood a rather gloomy-looking man in elegant violet robes, his sleeves wide and feathered like black swan wings. With his arms folded dramatically across his face, he muttered under his breath:
"So many Cygnus have already gone out to fight… what difference would one more make? Someone like me barely has any presence as it is… and now I have to take orders from a cat. What a tragic fate…"
Carla pressed her paw to her forehead, exasperated.
Among Celestial Spirits, finding someone remotely normal was like finding a pearl in a storm.
After several rounds of scolding, persuasion, and flat-out threats, she finally managed to drag Cygnus onto the battlefield.
Compared to that ordeal, Rhode's task was practically effortless.
His summoned Spirit, Ophiuchus, a mechanical giant serpent, her scales a shimmering blend of dark violet and metallic silver, her sleek body radiating cold steel light.
Rhodes stood calmly upon her head. As if responding to his presence, Ophiuchus's massive body began to expand even further.
Every movement she made carved deep trenches into the earth. The trees along her path were flattened effortlessly, as though swept aside by an invisible hand.
Even the rebellious Celestial Spirits who dared face her froze in terror at the sight of the colossal serpent. Resistance evaporated in an instant.
Ophiuchus's golden eyes locked onto a towering mountain ahead.She coiled upward from its base, her body wrapping around the slope like a living chain of armor. Her fangs struck out, sending enemies flying or devouring them whole.
The allied Spirits scattered instinctively, giving her wide berth as her tail wound around the base.
By the time Rhodes reached the mountaintop, still standing upon her head, he glanced down and saw her tail far below, circling the mountain's foot. Her immense body had practically engulfed the entire peak.
A true "Snake Coiling Mountain."
Rhodes chuckled softly, patting her head. "I've heard people say your power surpasses that of the Zodiac, but isn't this size… a bit much?"
Her voice, though emerging from a metallic frame, was that of a gentle nurse, soft, bright, and oddly soothing.
"Surpassing the Zodiac is an exaggeration," she said cheerfully. "My power comes from you, Summoner. The size I manifest depends entirely on your magic output. Theoretically, if your magic were infinite, I could grow endlessly large."
Rhode couldn't help but laugh. "Then I'll propose to the Magic Council that they hire you as a magic power tester. From now on, we'll measure Magicians as ten-meter class, hundred-meter class, or thousand-meter class."
"You're quite humorous," Ophiuchus replied, her tone bubbling with mirth.
'That joke's funny enough to make a dragon laugh for half an hour,' Rhodes thought, remembering the Ocean Dragon's laughable seriousness. "I'll have to introduce you two someday. You'd get along. Anyway, let's head that way next."
"Yes."
But as Ophiuchus shifted her weight to descend, a deep rumbling shook the air. A sharp crack split through the mountainside, and the mountain broke.
Rhodes sighed. "I just said we'd try to avoid destruction…"
He glanced at the distant flashes where two colossal figures, the Celestial Spirit King and Phatret, were already tearing the landscape apart.
"…but I suppose they're going to demolish it anyway."
"I'm sorry!" Ophiuchus cried, clearly flustered. Despite her massive body, her voice carried a sincere, almost apologetic tone. "I'm not used to moving around in the Human World yet, I'll be more careful!"
She adjusted her coils, doing her best not to crush more of the mountain than necessary, then called down in a ringing voice:
"Everyone, quickly! Climb onto my back!"
...
Stones PLzzz
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