Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

"Damn it!" Swordsman Hong snarled, anger flaring as his two comrades lay defeated.

He slammed his foot on the frozen ground and pulled the mechanism on his spear-sword. "Transform—Lance Sword, Cannon Mode!"

With a roar, the barrel of his weapon extended, and a volley of bullets tore toward Erza.

Without hesitation, Erza surged forward. She weaved between the incoming rounds, deflecting several with her blade, and in the same instant closed the distance to Hong.

"Ah—!" Hong swung his lance in desperation, but Erza's sword whirled in a brilliant arc.

Crack! Hong's weapon shattered on contact.

"How…?" he whispered, stunned.

Erza pressed her blade to his throat. "Enough. Hand over the Moon Drops."

Begrudgingly, Hong dropped the small purple vials he'd fought so hard to collect.

Inside the village, Su Yan approached a towering pillar of ice that pulsed with a faint, flickering glow.

"This must be it—the Eternal Flame," he murmured.

Before he could touch it, a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Who are you?" Su Yan asked, raising a hand defensively.

The newcomer bowed slightly, voice hushed: "I am Deliatei, affiliated with the Underworld Gate—Dream Demon Eye, a Dark Guild under Tartaros."

Su Yan's eyes narrowed. Tartaros—the dread name sent a chill through him. Of the four Balam Alliance guilds, only Tartaros remained after Fairy Tail dismantled Oración Seis and Grimoire Heart. Now it was the continent's most feared Dark Guild, born of the demons bound in Zeref's tome.

"So you're behind this freezing?" Su Yan demanded.

Deliatei smiled thinly. "If you wish to find Tartaros, you'll have to get past me first."

Before Su Yan could react, Deliatei's form shrank, bones creaking as degenerative magic twisted him into a childlike silhouette.

Su Yan blinked. "What kind of magic—?"

"A spell to weaken a foe by reducing their abilities," Deliatei boasted, rushing forward with a clenched fist.

Su Yan sprang back, but then raised his palm in calm defiance.

Boom! Deliatei's punch slammed into Su Yan's hand—Su Yan did not budge.

"How…? I should be stronger than you now!" Deliatei snarled, astonishment twisting his features.

Su Yan gave a small smile. "Weakening me doesn't strengthen you."

He grabbed Deliatei's fist and, with a casual twist, flung him high into the air. Deliatei smashed against the icy wall with a roar.

As Deliatei writhed in pain, his mind snapped. Dark energy flared, and he bulged into a demonic form—tusked, fanged, and hellish.

"A devil?" Su Yan observed, unfazed. The enchantment had worn off, and he returned to his normal, stalwart self.

Deliatei howled and charged again, colossal fist swinging.

Su Yan met him with another palm. Ka—! The blow landed cleanly, as solid and immovable as before.

Deliatei staggered back—Su Yan's strength remained unchanged.

"More power at the cost of reason makes you a fool," Su Yan said quietly. "You don't need to be stronger to win."

Deliatei lunged once more. Su Yan stepped forward, fists drawn.

Boom—! Two powerful strikes collided, sending Deliatei hurtling upward.

Deliatei hit the rafters and crashed down, scrambling to his feet. He glanced upward and froze, sensing imminent danger.

Above him hung a gigantic purple hand, shimmering with latent magic.

Boom—! The hand slammed down, carving a massive palm print into the frozen earth and pinning Deliatei fast.

He lay embedded in the ice, defeated.

By the fallen Demon Eye member, Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy caught up.

"Who is this guy?" Natsu asked, staring at Deliatei's twisted, tusked visage. "Another thief's lackey?"

Gray inspected the dark guild sigil. "He's no treasure hunter. He's part of Tartaros' network."

"Tartaros?!" Lucy's voice trembled. "The strongest Dark Guild… this is bad."

Erza's brow tightened. "Why are Dream Demon Eye agents here? We've only just recovered. We can't fight Tartaros now."

Su Yan stepped between them and the frozen pillar. "This village was cursed by Tartaros. Whoever did this sought the Eternal Flame. Now that we know who's behind it, we'll break their spell—and stop them at the source."

He turned back to the ice-encased flame. "Let's finish what we started."