Tower of Heaven, Part Ten
While the three were engaging in a righteous brawl, Natsu rushed to the top of the tower.
He was soaking wet and covered in owl slime, but he was full of energy, the flames crackling in his palms.
He immediately saw Riyao, Mirajane, and Erza ganging up on a blue-haired guy, and without thinking twice, he joined in.
"Make way! Make way! It's my turn!"
Natsu unleashed a punch that crackled with flames.
The four of them weren't exactly perfect in their teamwork, but they were quite coordinated. One would attack and another would immediately follow up, giving Jellal no chance to catch his breath.
After finishing his Riyao Flame Claw Strike, Natsu followed up with his Fire Fist. Natsu retreated, and Mirajane's Claw Blade finished him off. Mirajane then retreated, and Mirajane took over with Erza then sheathed her sword and charged forward again with Riyao Flame.
Jellal was bombarded by four people in turn. Although he could still hold on, he was clearly running out of steam.
He sneered, and his astral magic erupted within him, transforming his body into a golden streak of light.
[Meteor]
Jellal's movement speed increased dramatically, his figure flickering on the top of the tower like a shooting star streaking across the sky, causing all four of their attacks to miss.
He clasped his hands together, raised seven fingers, and magic gathered at his fingertips.
[Seven Star Sword]
A golden magic circle in the shape of the Big Dipper was drawn in the air, and the seven stars lit up in turn. Then, seven meteor-sized beams of light descended, each carrying destructive power, all attacking Erza.
Erza dodged and weaved, but the area covered by the seven beams of light was too large. She dodged four in a row, the fifth grazed her shoulder, the sixth slammed into her feet and the shockwave sent her flying, and the seventh hit her head-on.
Boom!
Erza was blasted off the tower, her figure disappearing at the edge of the tower's top.
"Erza!" Natsu shouted.
Mirajane's expression changed as well, but Jellal wouldn't give her a chance to be distracted, and another beam of starlight shot towards her.
Natsu puffed out his cheeks to gather his strength, the flames condensing to their maximum in his mouth before he suddenly opened it wide.
[Fire Dragon's Roar]
Crimson flames roared out, forming a wall of fire that burned away all the starlight Jellal shot at Mirajane.
The aftershocks of the flames illuminated the entire top of the tower, and a wave of heat swept over you.
Taking advantage of the fire wall as cover, Mirajane spread her demon wings and swooped down, catching Erza as she fell, before flying back to the top of the tower.
Jellal activated [Meteor] mode, his movement trajectory unpredictable, sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes up, sometimes down, like an elusive butterfly.
Riyao used the flames to move quickly in a straight line, but it was never able to catch up effectively. Every time it reached Jellal's previous position, Gerald had already moved to another direction.
Riyao stopped, clasped his hands together, and dark flames gathered in his palms.
[Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill]
A massive pillar of black flame shot out, but Jellal easily dodged it to the side, the pillar flying past him and crashing into the distant tower wall.
Jellal laughed, put his hands behind his back, and looked at him with a mocking expression.
"Your aim is terrible."
A smile crept onto Riyao's lips as he unleashed a devastating attack, the Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill, not at Jellal, but at Natsu.
A pillar of pitch-black flame shot straight at Natsu, but instead of dodging, Natsu opened his mouth and devoured the dark flames.
The black flames were absorbed by his body and fused with the Dragon Slayer Magic within him.
Natsu finished swallowing the last mouthful of black flame, wiped his mouth, and gave a bright smile.
"Thank you for the hospitality!"
Riyao retorted with a sarcastic and mocking tone.
"What do you know, you clown? That's called tactics."
Natsu held a jet-black flame in one hand and a crimson flame in the other; the two distinct flames burned on his arms, unleashing astonishing heat.
He pushed off the ground with both feet and charged towards Jellal like a cannonball.
[Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Jet Black Blazing Blade]
Natsu swung his arms, and the black and red flames merged into a spiraling slash, carrying destructive power as it hurtled towards Jellal.
Jellal stopped laughing.
The attack was far more powerful than he had anticipated; he had no time to dodge and could only take it head-on.
He raised one hand and summoned six magical celestial bodies, which were then fired at high speed to form a dense barrage.
[Six Star]
Six stars shot towards Natsu like bullets, but Natsu's jet-black blasting blade tore the barrage apart and continued to approach Jellal.
Jellal thrust his hands forward, unleashing nine lightning-attribute magic swords that combined lightning damage with piercing effects.
[Nine Thunder Stars]
Nine lightning swords roared out, forming a lightning sword array, and attacked Natsu and Erza simultaneously.
In the limited space at the top of the tower, Natsu and Erza couldn't dodge completely. Natsu's black flame blade was distracted by the lightning sword, causing the attack to deviate from its direction and blast a large crater in the tower wall.
Jellal attacked Mirajane and Riyao simultaneously, using Starlight and Thunder Sword in alternating attacks, preventing the two from supporting Natsu and Erza.
While dodging, Riyao observed the state of the entire tower. The magic power within the Magic Crystal was becoming increasingly unstable, its light flickering like a bomb that could explode at any moment.
He remembered that the R-System was unstable and would eventually explode; if things dragged on like this, everyone would die here.
Riyao has made a decision.
"Mira, take Natsu and Erza with you. I need to retract the Life Link."
Mirajane dodged a ray of starlight, turned to look at Riyao, her face full of anxiety.
"What will you do if we leave?!"
Riyao replied confidently, his tone as relaxed as if he were discussing what to eat today.
"I can still fly, I can just run away. You're just getting in my way, so get out of here."
Mirajane thought for a moment, gritted her teeth, and nodded.
She knew that Riyao wasn't the kind of person who would risk his life; if he said he could run, he definitely could.
She unfurled her demonic wings, grabbed Erza with one hand and the still struggling Natsu with the other, and flapped her wings forcefully, flying towards the outside of the tower.
Natsu was still struggling, the flames crackling in his hands.
"Let me go! I can still fight! I haven't even beaten that blue-haired guy to a pulp yet!"
Erza glanced back at the top of the tower and shouted, "Riyao! Watch out!"
Jellal's expression changed drastically when he saw the cooked duck about to fly away, and he quickly stepped forward to stop it.
He transformed into a golden streak of light and rushed forward, attempting to intercept Mirajane.
Riyao wouldn't let Jellal succeed. He stepped in front of Jellal and unleashed a Dark Flame Slash. The black flames collided with the golden starlight, and the shockwave forced Jellal back several steps.
Jellal steadied himself, watching Mirajane and the other two walk away, his face contorted with rage, his teeth clenched.
"Since Erza ran away, then I'll use you as a sacrifice! Your body is also an excellent sacrifice, hahaha!"
Riyao took a deep breath as he watched Jellal's frenzied state.
[Life Link]
The golden light vanished from them.
[Hundred Battles Spell Formula]
The golden runes faded from Riyao.
[Life Mimicry - Demon]
The black scales shattered, the demon wings vanished, and Riyao returned to its original form, standing gracefully atop the tower.
When Jellal saw that Riyao had removed all its enhancements, a smug smile appeared on his face. He didn't care about Riyao's state and rushed over, intending to press Riyao into the Magic Crystal as a sacrifice.
"He's courting death!"
Jellal reached for Riyao's chest, golden magic gathering in his palm, preparing to force Riyao into the R-System.
Riyao neither retreated nor dodged.
He stood still, took a deep breath, and his chest heaved violently. Then, his body began to change.
The magic surged violently, and the power emanating from Riyao's body was even more terrifying and ancient than that of his Demon Form.
Large amounts of steam billowed from his body, like a boiling boiler, distorting the surrounding air.
Jellal had gone mad and recklessly rushed into the steam.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the sea became turbulent, with waves rolling outward from the Tower of Heaven.
Jellal rushed up to Riyao, just about to make a move.
Riyao, with his eyes closed, reached out and grabbed Jellal by the neck, tightening his grip and lifting Jellal up.