"Oh!!"
"Aye!"
Flames and freezing air erupted at once.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!!"
"Ice-Make: Ice Lance!"
Yet Jellal merely tapped his toe against the ground, turning into a golden streak almost too fast to see as he slipped through the gaps between the flames and shards of ice.
The next instant, he appeared behind Natsu, sending him flying with a backhanded elbow before sweeping Gray back with a side kick.
"Too slow," Jellal said coldly.
Almost simultaneously, a silver flash slashed down from above. Erza had already equipped the Heaven's Wheel Armor, and countless swords rained down. Jellal raised a hand to erect a barrier, and the dense clatter of impacts merged into a continuous roar, sparks flying everywhere.
Even with all three attacking him, Jellal handled them with ease.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Simon and the others trying to approach the restraint device in the center. He snorted and pointed his free hand at the sky.
"Seven Star Sword!"
Seven streaks of light hurtled down from the sky. Just as they were about to strike Simon and the others, Erza flashed in front of them.
"Adamantine Armor!"
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!
Erza blocked every attack with her shields, and the battlefield briefly fell quiet.
Natsu and Gray got up and returned to the others.
"Damn it... this guy's seriously strong!" Natsu looked furious.
Gray's expression was grave. "He's holding off all three of us by himself, and he still has enough power to attack other people with magic..."
Jellal flicked his wrist elegantly, his voice tinged with mockery.
"Just what I'd expect from Erza. That spell had destructive power to rival Meteor Impact, yet you blocked it without a scratch."
"Unfortunately... you cannot defeat me. Watching your precious friend die as a sacrifice