"Is this... 'Moon Drip'?" As a mage, Erza had studied various Magic Circles.
"This energy is typically used to break ancient seals or perform high-level purification rituals... Could it be related to the mission Natsu took?"
Erza rested her hand on her sword hilt, scanning the silent icy plain.
"Natsu and Gray might have gone deeper into the canyon. The anomalies here could be their discovery or a trap to lure them away. Should we split up or investigate here first?"
After a moment's thought, Ace made a decision. "Moon Drip is suspicious in itself. As for Natsu and Gray, as long as they don't encounter opponents far beyond their strength, they should be able to protect themselves. Let's first assess the situation here. If it's a trap, we'll dismantle it; if it's some other scheme, we can stop it."
Erza nodded in agreement.
The two stealthily moved toward the glacial erosion hills on the other side of the icy plain.
The further they went, the more evident artificial traces became, including remnants of ancient stone pillars encased in ice. It seemed they were at the edge of a buried ancient ruin.
As they rounded a massive, mushroom-shaped ice pillar, a low, beast-like howl of wind reached them, along with sharp, clear sounds cutting through the air.
"Over there!"
Ahead, on a relatively open ice platform, seven or eight figures clad in uniform white robes and hoods were busily gathered around a peculiar prismatic crystal floating mid-air, continuously absorbing faint purple lunar energy from the atmosphere.
Ahead of them, a tall and upright man stood facing a massive ice lizard that had just emerged from beneath the frozen surface—a creature seemingly sculpted from frost, claws bared and menacing.
This ice lizard was a Magical Beast native to this area.
Yet the leader remained utterly composed in the face of the attacking ice lizard, not even shifting his stance as he gracefully raised his right hand.
"Ice-Make: Saber-Tooth Tiger!"
His fingers curled loosely as magical energy surged.
A giant tiger with thick, razor-sharp fangs materialized out of thin air, moving with such speed that it struck first, brutally severing the ice lizard's head, neck, and joints.
The ice lizard let out a silent cry of agony, its movements freezing before its entire body shattered into pieces.
"Clean and precise," Ace's eyes narrowed slightly.
The guy Ice-Make magic displayed remarkable speed, accuracy, and power—and the style of the construct…
"It's different from Gray's 'static' style of Ice-Make; his is the 'dynamic' type," Erza also discerned the distinction, murmuring under her breath.
"Moreover, his magic power… feels similar to Gray's, but colder, more violent, brimming with a… predatory wildness."
By then, the robed subordinates had finished handling the prismatic crystal.
One of them bowed respectfully and reported to the leader, "Lord Zero, the seventh guidance crystal has been fully charged. All preliminary arrays are complete, awaiting only the lunar zenith tonight."
'Zero?' Ace and Erza exchanged a glance—it seemed this was the leader of the mysterious group.
"Good," the leader addressed as Zero nodded, his voice filtered through the mask, carrying a youthful yet imperious and obsessive chill.
"Transport the crystal to the designated location. Stay vigilant; I will not tolerate any mistakes at this final stage."
"Yes!" the subordinates responded with a bow, preparing to depart with the crystal.
Just then, Zero suddenly tilted his head slightly, the shadow beneath his hood seeming to turn toward the ice pillar where Ace and Erza were concealed.
"Having watched for so long, isn't it time you showed yourselves? Skulking rodents."
Ace and Erza tensed inwardly; given the opponent's strength, it was only a matter of time.
The two emerged from behind the ice pillar without further concealment.
Erza instantly donned her high-damage "Black Wing Armor," gripping her longsword firmly.
Ace stood calmly by her side, his gaze fixed intently on 'Zero'.
"Fairy Tail?" Zero's eyes swept over Erza's guild emblem before glancing dismissively at Ace.
"I didn't expect to run into nuisances here. I'll give you one chance: leave immediately, and I'll pretend I never saw you."
"Leave?" Erza pointed her sword at Zero.
"What are you scheming here in secret? Explain clearly, or don't even think about leaving."
"Heh, ignorant fools," Zero sneered, clearly unimpressed by Erza's threat. "Since you're eager to die, I'll oblige. It's perfect timing—your demise will add a touch of color to the demon's descent."
Before the words faded, he lunged forward with astonishing speed, leaving only an afterimage in his wake. Simultaneously, he swung both hands:
"Ice-Make: Wolf Pack Hunt!"
Dozens of ethereal blue ice wolves materialized out of thin air, unleashing silent roars as they closed in on Erza from both flanks.
Their razor-sharp claws, wreathed in bone-chilling frost, aimed straight for her throat.
"Requip – The Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Erza reacted with lightning speed, instantly switching armor.
Countless blades whirled around her, shattering the pouncing ice wolves to pieces.
Clang!
Sword and claw collided with a metallic ring.
The ice wolves' claws were unexpectedly hard as steel, and frigid energy crept along the blade, attempting to freeze it solid.
Erza snorted coldly, erupting with magical power to repel the icy claws. Her sword gleamed like a spinning wheel as she counterattacked.
Zero pressed forward, his movements eerily fluid and agile like a snow leopard on the tundra, consistently evading her blade by a hair's breadth while continuously employing various forms of Ice-Make magic to harass and assault her.
Ice serpents coiled, ice eagles dove, ice bears smashed down...
The attacks were relentless and wild, forming a stark contrast to Erza's precise and elegant swordsmanship.
"Erza holds the advantage in sword skills and combat experience, but his ice constructs are unpredictably versatile and treacherous to defend against. Plus, he holds the terrain advantage in this extreme cold," Ace observed calmly from the sidelines, not immediately intervening.
He wanted to gauge the true extent of this "Zero Emperor's" abilities and also let Erza adapt to this unique fighting style first.
Zero Emperor seemed to sense Erza's formidable strength.
Growing impatient after failing to gain the upper hand, a flicker of irritation crossed his eyes.
He abruptly leaped backward, creating distance from Erza, and formed a complex hand seal over his chest.
The magical energy around him surged violently as the frigid air of the ice field seemed to answer his call, converging toward him.
"You forced me to use this move! Ice-Make – Ice Phoenix Wings!"
Vast magical power and freezing energy gathered above his head, slowly taking the form of countless crystalline, lifelike ice phoenixes that radiated an aura of noble and terrifying cold!
The ice phoenixes raised their heads and let out clear, piercing cries. Countless ice crystal feathers, shimmering with purple moonlight, rained down upon Erza like a torrential storm!
At that moment, a crimson figure appeared before her as if teleporting.
"Aldamon!"
Flames surged skyward as the dragonoid warrior descended! Facing the overwhelming barrage of ice crystal feathers, Aldamon (Ace) didn't even bother using the Rudra Mirror.
He simply snapped his broad crimson-gold dragon wings forward, forming two massive shields of flame that securely protected both him and Erza.
Clink, clink, clink, clink...
A cacophony of dense impacts rang out.
The moonlit ice crystal feathers struck the dragon wings, most instantly vaporized by the intense heat, while the few that penetrated the flames were deflected by the tough dragon scales, failing to cause any harm.
"What?!" Zero's pupils contracted sharply.
His "Ice Phoenix Wings" had been blocked so easily?
And that form... was that a dragon? Or some kind of transformation magic?
Aldamon slowly unfolded his wings, his golden-flame eyes locking onto Zero.
His voice carried a metallic resonance and a hint of amusement.
"'Motion' type Ice-Make? Interesting. But if this is all your ice can do, it's not nearly enough."
"Arrogant fool!" Zero roared in fury, controlling the main body of the ice phoenix.
It dove toward Aldamon with an aura capable of freezing all creation, its sharp icy beak aimed straight for the dragon warrior's head.
Aldamon neither dodged nor evaded, retracting his right fist to his waist as crimson-gold flames wildly compressed and condensed.
Then, he threw a punch.
Where the fist passed, space distorted, and the scorching heat waves melted and evaporated the surrounding ice.
The crimson-gold fiery fist force, like a roaring flame dragon, violently collided with the diving ice bird.
BOOM!!!
The ultimate clash of ice and fire, extreme cold and extreme heat.
The terrifying explosion cracked the ice platform.
The ice bird let out a mournful cry, its crystalline body covered in spiderweb-like cracks before exploding into a mist of ice shards.
Zero was struck as if by a heavy blow, grunting as he slid back over ten meters before barely steadying himself.
His hood fell back, revealing a handsome yet pale young face—made pallid by shock, anger, and magical backlash—with slightly disheveled light blue hair.
"Your ice is ornate in form, wild and untamed, but it's flashy without substance, lacking the 'core' that decides the battle with one strike." Aldamon retracted his fist and slowly advanced toward Zero, each of his step carrying a heavy pressure.
"Ur's ice pursues an instant of 'absolute' and 'eternal.' You have only learned the form, not the essence."
"You… how do you know about Ur?! Who exactly are you?!"
Upon hearing Ur's name, Lyon reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on, glaring at Aldamon with a mix of shock and fury.
"Who I am is unimportant." Aldamon halted a few meters away from Leo, golden flames dancing in his draconic eyes.
"What matters is, what do you intend to do by collecting Moon Drip? What is sealed behind the 'Wall of Sighs'?"
Lyon gritted his teeth, his eyes shifting evasively, clearly unwilling to answer.
He gathered magic in his hands once more, as if preparing to resist.
Just then, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the direction of the distant, massive glacial canyon.