Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

"Did Tartaros do this?!" Erza's voice trembled. Freezing an entire village—such cruelty was beyond belief.

"But it's fine," Su Yan said, lifting the vial of Moon Drop. "We have one Moon Drop. Once we free the Eternal Flame, it should thaw everything."

On the way back, they'd realized a single drop wouldn't melt the whole village—but restoring the Eternal Flame might be enough to break the spell entirely.

Su Yan gestured at a massive ice formation. "There— that's the Eternal Flame."

"No way. It just looks like a mountain of ice," Natsu said in awe.

Lucy peered closer. "You mean the flame itself was frozen solid, so it looks like a mountain?"

Erza frowned. "To freeze a fire of that size… incredible."

Gray bit his lip. "I don't know if this Moon Drop will be enough."

"Let's try it!" Natsu uncorked the bottle and sprinkled the glowing liquid over the ice.

At first, a small patch melted away—but then nothing. The drop vaporized, leaving the vast iceberg unchanged.

"What happened?" Natsu stared at the untouched ice in disbelief.

"Do we capture whoever cast the spell and force them to lift it?" Erza suggested, glancing at the unconscious Deliatei.

Just then, Deliatei awoke, screaming, "You—you opened it… Tartaros… I can't—"

Before he could finish, a gigantic owl-like beast descended from the sky and snatched him away in its massive talons.

"Monster!" Happy yelped as the creature swooped toward the group.

"Don't just stand there—fight!" Natsu charged the beast.

Meanwhile, Gray placed both hands on the ice and closed his eyes. "Let me see… feel the magic."

Lucy turned to Su Yan. "Without the Eternal Flame, we're stuck. What now?"

Su Yan shrugged. "I've never tackled magic this way. My quests aren't usually—"

"Let me try," Gray interrupted. "Earlier, I touched the ice but couldn't shape it. Now I know its magic runs through me… I might be able to reshape it."

He hesitated. "If it doesn't work… well, we have nothing to lose."

"Everyone, stand back," Su Yan warned.

Gray poured his magic into the iceberg, guiding the ice's energy through his own will. The surface trembled.

"The ice… it's shifting!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Keep going—!" Erza encouraged.

With a final surge, Gray's magic ignited the ice from within. In an instant, the mountain-like formation vanished—melted into mist.

"What? Where did it go?" Natsu stared at the empty space.

"The Eternal Flame…" Su Yan pointed ahead. On a simple stone altar flickered a small, stubborn flame—the heart of the mountain.

"Can that tiny flame thaw everything?" Erza asked.

"Natsu, distract that monster—then launch a few fireballs at the altar to rekindle it," Su Yan ordered.

"No problem!" Natsu roared—and turned to see the owl-beast lunging.

At Su Yan's command, dozens of ethereal swords formed in the air—his new Domineering Armament. The blades shot out and sliced through the one-eyed creature in mid-flight.

With the monster defeated, Happy fluttered to the altar. "Natsu, aim at the flame!"

Natsu unleashed torrents of fire—the small flame flared, then soared upward into a pillar of roaring heat.

"It's ignited!" Lucy cheered.

Amid the inferno, a familiar face emerged: Atlas Flame, the spirit from the Royal Capital battle just weeks ago.

"400 years… Igneel's children," Natsu whispered.

"Alive?" Gray frowned. "Shouldn't it have vanished after 400 years?"

"I've been burning since then—my thoughts remain," the flaming figure replied softly.

Erza stepped forward. "Who are you? And who froze this village?"

The flame wavered. "A man appeared… wielded magic of ice and snow in an instant. He even froze me—Devil Slayer magic."

"Devil Slayer?!" Natsu's eyes widened. "We've seen Dragon Slayer and God Slayer… now Demon Slayer magic?"

The air hummed with new mysteries—and the true battle was only beginning.