Riyao vs. Gray and Natsu

Seeing the two separate, Riyao didn't hesitate. He turned his toes on the ground, leaned forward, and kicked out at Gray.

This kick carried the monstrous power of Hundred Battles Spell Formula, and when the lower leg broke through the air, it made a sharp whistling sound, and the sand grains were swirled up by the wind from the kick, drawing an arc in the air.

Gray quickly clasped his hands together, magic rapidly condensing in his palms. An ice-blue magic circle appeared in front of him, and a thick ice shield formed, barely blocking the kick.

[Ice-Make - Ice Shield]

Bang!

The moment his foot slammed into the ice shield, spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly outwards from the point of impact, and ice shards flew like shattered diamonds. Gray's arms ached from the enormous impact.

He was kicked several meters away, shield and all, and his feet plowed two deep furrows in the sand before he could barely regain his footing. His arms were still trembling slightly uncontrollably.

Natsu wouldn't let Riyao just focus on Gray. Taking advantage of the moment when Riyao of gravity shifted forward after kicking, he ignited his fists with blazing flames and charged in from the side, his fists carrying a scorching air wave that blasted towards Riyao's side waist.

[Fire Dragon's Iron Fist]

"You actually tried to hit my kidneys? That's going too far!"

Despite his complaints, Riyao reacted with astonishing speed. With a sudden twist of his waist, he swung his leg back, his straightened calf precisely blocking Natsu's fiery fist.

The moment the flames collided with the golden patterns, scorching air burst out to both sides, and Riyao's calves were slightly reddened by the heat, but his physique under the Hundred Battles Spell Formula withstood it.

The immense impact propelled him backward several meters, his heels carving two deep grooves into the sand.

Gray wouldn't let this Riyao, with Natsu holding off Sunrise, slip by.

He gritted his teeth to steady his numb arms, then slammed his hands onto the ground. Icy blue magic poured out from his palms, and the chill spread rapidly outwards from him.

[Ice-Make - Ice Geyser]

Ice spikes burst from the ground beneath Riyao's feet, and the chilling air, wrapped in ice crystals, instantly enveloped him. Riyao had no time to dodge, and his legs and lower body were frozen into ice sculptures. The ice layer spread upwards along his waistline, sealing him inside.

Seeing this, Natsu's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. His left hand ignited with orange-red flames, and his right hand with blue flames. He clasped his fists together, and the two flames swirled and merged wildly in his palms, transforming into a scorching ball of light.

[Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame]

The ball of light shot out of his hand, carrying devastating heat, and hurtled straight towards the frozen Riyao. Under Natsu's precise control, the flames did not explode.

Instead, it enveloped the Riyao like a rotating star, with flames of orange-red and green intertwined surging and flowing on the surface of the sphere, the temperature so high that even the surrounding air was distorted and deformed.

Sting and Lector both gaped open, their jaws nearly dislocated. They stared at each other, their expressions shifting from shock to bewilderment.

They turned to look at the battle between Mirajane and Erza in the distance. The two figures collided in mid-air, each exchange creating a shockwave, with the light of dark magic and metal clashing flashing alternately.

Looking back over here, Natsu and Gray teamed up to wrap Riyao in a fireball and roast it.

Sting's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but speak.

"Hey, do you Fairy Tail members always fight this brutally? Is this a friendly spar or murder?"

Lucy covered her face, not wanting to answer, but peeking out with one eye through her fingers, her expression very complicated.

Juvia stood beside Gray, fists clenched, cheeks flushed, shouting encouragement.

"Gray, Lord Gray! Juvia will always support you!"

Gildarts sat cross-legged on the sand, laughing heartily.

"Not bad, they've all grown, much better than before I left."

Inside the fireball, the rotating flames suddenly underwent a strange change.

The flames stopped spinning, and the flames that had been expanding outward in a spherical shape began to flow backward, as if something was devouring them.

The orange-red and cyan flames were drawn together by an invisible force, converging towards the center of the sphere.

The flames gradually diminished and thinned, revealing the central Riyao's form; the ice layer had long since shattered and melted away.

Dragon scales appeared on his body, a pair of winding dragon horns stood upright on his head, and his golden vertical pupils exuded an ancient sense of oppression in the remaining flames, while his dragon tail swayed slowly behind him.

[Life Mimicry - Azure Dragon]

The remaining flames were all inhaled by Riyao. He smacked his lips and licked them contentedly, as if he had just finished a bowl of hot soup.

"Ha~ Natsu's fire flavor is getting better and better, much richer than before."

Sting and Lector gaped open again, and this time even Rogue gaped open; all three of them looked like they had seen a ghost, their jaws dropping in unison.

"Is that a dragon?! He's Dragon Slayer too? This dragon transformation is progressing way too fast!"

Sting's voice changed, and his finger trembled as he pointed at Riyao.

Gildarts narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the Azure Dragon Form of the Riyao. Its horns, scales, tail, and golden vertical pupils all exuded an extraordinary aura. He stroked his chin and commented.

"Riyao has come up with a new form again. It looks pretty good, much more imposing than that pink-haired Celestial Spirit form from last time."

Happy sat on Gildarts' shoulder, patting his head with his little paws, looking completely unfazed.

"Aye! Riyao also has a Demon Form, it's all black and it spews ink flames, it's terrifying."

With a sudden flick of its tail, the Riyao Dragon transformed into a streak of dark green light and charged toward Gray. Its speed was so great that it left a trail of afterimages on the beach, and its tail whistled as it cut through the air.

"Gray, your ice skills are too weak. Let me teach you what ice really is!"

He clenched his right hand at his side, and emerald green magic intertwined and condensed with the cold air, forming a blue ice crystal Tang sword in his palm. The blade was as clear as jade, and the cold air rose from the blade, freezing even the moisture in the air into tiny ice crystals that floated around the blade.

Gray's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively stepped back to the side, taking three quick steps as magic rapidly condensed in his palm.

[Ice-Make - Lancer]

A dozen or so ice crystal spears shot out from behind him simultaneously, their sharp, piercing sounds echoing through the air. Each spear was enveloped in a chilling aura, leaving behind a dozen or so icy blue trails in the sky.

Riyao spun sideways, the Frost Tang Blade whirling in his hand, its blade flashing like a bolt of lightning, and a chilling aura spreading outwards with the spinning blade, causing the temperature to plummet.

[Illuminate All Rivers]

As the blade's light poured forth, the temperature plummeted wherever Gray stood, as if he had instantly fallen from the height of summer into the depths of winter, transforming the area within dozens of meters in front of him into a world of ice and snow.

The beach was transformed into a world of ice and snow. The waves were frozen, and even the splashing water was frozen in mid-air. No place was spared from the frost; the ground, rocks, and weeds were all frozen into ice.

The ice spears that shot towards the Riyao.

Gray remained in a defensive stance, his arms crossed in front of him, but his body was frozen solid, leaving long streaks of ice behind him.

Taking advantage of the gap in Riyao's attack on Gray, Natsu took a deep breath, his chest expanding rapidly, flames churning and compressing in his throat.

[Fire Dragon's Roar]

A torrent of crimson and blue flames erupted from Natsu's mouth, scorching hot as it hurtled toward Riyao's back, crackling and popping as the flames passed through.

Riyao turned around, raised his hand to touch the flame, and a greenish-blue chill surged from his palm. The moment it collided head-on with the blue-red flame, the chill crushed the flame layer by layer with overwhelming force. The flame struggled a few times under the ice layer before completely solidifying.

The entire torrent of flames was frozen into a winding ice pillar, with the patterns and flowing motion of the flames perfectly preserved within the ice.

Riyao clenched his five fingers and squeezed hard, causing the ice pillar to shatter in the middle, breaking into countless ice shards and flame fragments that scattered all over the ground.

A slight smile curved Riyao's lips as his dragon tail swayed leisurely behind him, and emerald green magic gathered and surged behind him.

The chilling air intertwined with the Dragon Force, and a huge azure Ice Dragon took shape behind them. Its body was crystal clear, its mouth was wide open, and its fangs were menacing.

"Sitting upright amidst the frosty sky!"

Riyao wielded his Frost Tang Blade, the blade tracing a perfect arc. The Ice Dragon responded, its massive body spiraling and sweeping towards Natsu, enveloped in a chilling aura.

Wherever it passed, the beaches froze into ice fields, the ice layer covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and the cold was so intense that even the distant seawater was covered with a thin layer of ice.

Natsu, not to be outdone, stomped his feet on the ground, his left arm igniting with blue flames and his right arm with orange-red flames, the two colors of flames surging wildly between his arms.

He clasped his fists together and released the flames in a spiral shape, no longer using them to propel himself in a spinning charge as before.

[Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Azure Lotus Blazing Blade]

A spiraling firestorm roared out and collided head-on with the Ice Dragon.

Rumble!

The two energies collided, creating a huge shockwave that spread in all directions, shattering the ice on the beach and sending ice and sand fragments flying into the sky.

The nearby trees were bent into bow shapes by the shockwave, their trunks creaking under the strain. The sea surface was ripped up by the shockwave, creating a wall of water that rolled back dozens of meters. The spray froze into ice crystals in mid-air and then evaporated instantly, with water vapor and ice mist permeating the entire battlefield.

Erza and Mirajane also stopped, turning to look at them simultaneously, their expressions differing.

Erza frowned slightly, while Mirajane tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Everyone else hid behind Gildarts held up a faint magical barrier with one hand to block the flying ice shards and sand.

The four kittens clung tightly to Gildarts's cloak.

Gildarts exclaimed in surprise, his eyebrows raised high.

"Hey, long time no see. Natsu has gotten smarter, huh? He's stopped using himself as a human drill."