A Terrible Lie

Ifrit smiled. "If I were a god, Happy, I'd find you a beautiful white female cat who could fly and talk, just like you."

"Huh? Really?!" Happy asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Just wait."

"..." Happy suddenly came to his senses and said angrily, "Ifrit, you're obviously lying to me!"

"No, Happy, you have to believe me!"

"Your words are the one thing I absolutely can't believe!" Even mild-tempered Happy could not take it anymore and unleashed a barrage of Cat punches on Ifrit.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Ifrit quickly raised both hands in apology.

After Happy's anger subsided, Ifrit said, "Actually, I haven't figured it out either, but there was another group of enemies here. I ran into them by chance. They even set up a barrier to stop me from escaping, so I had no choice but to fight."

"Escape..." Lucy wanted to mock him, but the words caught in her throat.

"Are you all right?" Erza asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." Ifrit shook his head.

"You really know how to hide your strength. Too bad I didn't get to see you fight at full power," Gray said regretfully.

"It was nothing worth mentioning. Oh, right!" Ifrit changed the subject. "Natsu is fighting a powerful enemy. We shouldn't waste time. Let's hurry and help him!"

"Okay."

Erza nodded.

Though they had their doubts, since Ifrit would not explain, they could only keep them to themselves.

But this time, not only Lucy, who had only recently joined, but even Erza and Gray had gained a new understanding of Ifrit's strength.

In the forest.

Sardi sprinted toward the temple, muttering to himself along the way.

"What was that?!"

"What terrifying power!"

"Even I wouldn't have been able to handle Wade in that state, yet he was killed in an instant without any chance to resist!"

"Such overwhelming strength without relying on magic... could it have been a demon?!"

"An invisible demon?!"

"That deceitful wizard must never be provoked!"

"My intelligence was wrong. That guy is even more terrifying than Erza!"

"No!"

"I absolutely can't let you interfere with my plan!"

"Luckily, you're also from Fairy Tail. I know your weakness!"

Ifrit and the others headed toward the temple.

But suddenly, quite a few people rushed out and blocked their path.

They wore identical black robes and held weapons in their hands, looking thoroughly menacing.

However, even Lucy could sense that this group's magic power was weak. Only five of them could truly be called wizards.

These people were very weak, but their suicidal attacks still caused the group trouble.

"Ifrit, use your magic already!" Erza urged.

None of them wanted to kill ordinary people.

Although these people were weak, their reckless fighting style forced the three of them to hold back.

"Sorry." Ifrit pushed up his glasses with the ring finger of his left hand, his face hidden behind his palm.

"That battle just now has nearly exhausted my magic power."

"I can only take one person away."

"I'll go!" Gray immediately said. "I'm the one who has to defeat Leo!"

"Okay." Ifrit nodded.

Their bodies vanished in an instant.

Erza suddenly said, "Ifrit, I don't know what you're planning, but you know where I draw the line."

"..." No one answered.

Lucy was somewhat confused.

Happy said, "That was one of the worst lies Ifrit has ever told."

"???" Lucy was even more bewildered.

Ifrit took Gray around the enemies.

Gray immediately rushed toward the temple.

Natsu was still fighting Leo.

The moment Gray arrived, he took over the battle.

Sardi appeared and drew Natsu away after him.

Ifrit did not show himself to help either of them.

Now things had returned to what he knew best and enjoyed most—watching from the sidelines. What could be better than eating snacks and watching a show?

He stood upstairs for a while.

He watched the two ice wizards trade blows, magical effects exploding everywhere.

"Brr..."

He shivered and turned to head downstairs.

Natsu was fighting Sardi.

This short wizard was very strong. Natsu could not take him down quickly and was instead led around in circles by him.

To stall for time, Sardi began playing hide-and-seek with Natsu.

Soon.

Night fell.

"It's nighttime." Sardi looked at the moon in the sky and revealed a smug smile.

He had not expected things to go so smoothly.

Erza and that deceitful wizard had actually been held back by a group of people so weak.

Just as expected of a Light Guild.

"Found you!" Natsu once again found Sardi with his excellent sense of smell.

"How did you find me?" Sardi was nearly speechless.

"My sense of smell is sharp." Natsu looked at Sardi in confusion. "But why do you smell like a woman?"

"..." Sardi was speechless. This guy really was an expert at hide-and-seek.

"You've failed." Flames ignited around Natsu as he said with blazing fighting spirit, "Gray will send that guy flying, and I'll send you flying a million times! Then everything will be over!"

"Yes, it'll be over," Sardi said with a smile.

Boom

The Magic Circle activated, and a purple beam shone onto the ice.

"Deliora is about to awaken," Sardi said smugly.

"I won't let you have your way!"

Natsu unleashed his full firepower and charged at Sardi.

After dodging the punch, Sardi smiled. "Is it really a good idea to use such powerful fire magic here?"

"If fire alone could melt the ice, you wouldn't have had to work so hard." Natsu would not hold back just because of an enemy's words. In battle, his brain ran at peak performance!

"All I need to do is defeat you quickly, then defeat the guy upstairs preparing the ritual!"

"I'm impressed," Sardi said. "Your quick thinking on the battlefield truly surprises me."

"Quit yapping!"

Natsu chased after Sardi, trying to deal with this slippery fellow as quickly as possible, but he could not get his wish.

Crack

Cracks began spreading across the ice.

A pale hand gently pressed against one of the cracks.

No one noticed.

Ifrit was already standing there.

"The promise is almost fulfilled."

"But before that..."

Ifrit took out a camera and began taking pictures of Deliora.

This thing looked far more ferocious than Lullaby, and it was stronger too, forcing a wizard of the Ten Wizard Saints rank into a mutual kill.

It could be used as material for deception later!

Besides, Deliora was a famous demon that had once caused massive disasters and spread Terror across many places.

It was surely the source of fear for many people.

The next time Ifrit faced enemies.

Ifrit could bring it out, and it would be far more intimidating than Lullaby!

And against certain enemies, it would be even more effective!

"Roar—"

Deliora let out an excited roar.

Dense cracks spread across the entire massive iceberg. It was finally about to "awaken"!