Seeing that Natsu still hadn't woken up, Riyao told Happy to continue looking after him.
"Happy, watch over Natsu. When he wakes up, don't let him run around. I'm going up to see what Jellal is made of."
(´◊ω◊｀)
Happy nodded, his small paws patting Natsu's face.
"Natsu, wake up!"
Riyao unfurled his demon wings and flew directly from outside the tower to the top.
Lucy's group had encountered another bizarre enemy, one that seemed somewhat specialized against them.
If it weren't for Juvia, their Celestial Spirits would likely have been controlled, leading to a dead end.
Lucy still couldn't perform a Double Summons, and her magic power wasn't enough to activate Star Dress.
This wasn't like that previous Puppet Magic where the Celestial Spirits could break free so easily.
Erza and Mirajane had run into Ikaruga. Erza was in a daze today, and she was being suppressed by Ikaruga.
Mira harassed Ikaruga from the side, but she was mostly slacking off, wanting Erza to see her own heart clearly.
Ikaruga's eerie spatial slashes were just that—eerie—but not powerful enough to be called truly formidable. They were likely something Jellal found specifically to counter Erza.
As expected of someone who had infiltrated the Council, his intelligence-gathering capabilities were extremely powerful.
However, Riyao had rarely fought in public, so there was no intelligence to reference.
As for Gray, his performance was a bit weak; he was still miserably climbing the stairs and had only just reached Natsu.
Riyao quickly reached the top of the tower, pushed open the heavy iron doors, and entered the throne hall where Jellal was.
The hall was spacious and empty, with purple Lacrima embedded in the walls, emitting an eerie glow.
Jellal stood in the center of the hall with his back to the door and his hands behind his back, as if waiting for someone.
As soon as Riyao entered, he spoke with heavy sarcasm, drawing out his words, each syllable laced with thorns.
"Yo, isn't this our famous Council Member Siegrain? One of the Ten Wizard Saints, no less. Your Heavenly Body Magic is masterful, so why did you run off to play the big villain here?"
վ'ᴗ' ի
Jellal slowly turned around to look at Riyao. There wasn't a trace of anger on his face; he still maintained the elegance of an early-stage villain.
He smiled slightly, hands behind his back, his tone composed.
"Heh, Riyao. I didn't expect you to have such strong combat power. I always thought you only had strong support abilities."
Riyao didn't give him a chance to continue talking.
He charged straight in. People would be coming up to kill-steal soon, and if he didn't deal some damage quickly, it would be embarrassing to have the lowest DPS percentage at the end.
Hum!
Riyao charged forward while charging up a punch. Black magic power condensed on his fist, which he threw out, carrying terrifying strength.
Jellal had originally wanted to talk a bit more to stall for time so as not to interfere with his Thought Projection outside, but Riyao didn't give him any opportunity to speak.
Jellal raised his arm to block the punch. The moment fist met arm, a shockwave spread in all directions from the point of impact, and the floor cracked into a spiderweb pattern.
His body was smashed directly into the wall, sending rubble flying and dust filling the air.
Gotta say, this tower is pretty sturdy.
Riyao looked at Jellal embedded in the wall and sneered.
"You are too rude!"
Jellal broke free from the wall. A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, but he still maintained that elegant posture.
He raised his hand and condensed Heavenly Body Magic, and seven starlight beams shot from his fingertips toward Riyao.
Riyao sidestepped to dodge, but he didn't retreat at all; instead, he pressed even closer.
He upheld the principle of kicking a man while he's down, continuing his charge while Jellal had yet to recall that special Thought Projection to recover his magic power.
"Ora ora ora ora ora!"
♦♦(◣д◢)♦♦
Riyao's fists rained down on Jellal like a storm, left and right punches alternating. Every punch carried demonic power, and every punch landed precisely on Jellal's body.
Jellal barely managed to protect his vitals with his arms, but Riyao's attacks were too dense; he couldn't block them all.
It wasn't just fists; his feet, wings, and tail were all used by Riyao to attack.
Wind blades fanned out from his demon wings grazed Jellal's cheeks, his tail whipped against his waist like a lash, and his knee drove into his abdomen. Every strike was merciless.
Jellal gritted his teeth and endured. Most of his robes were shredded, though his magic-enhanced body withstood a fair amount of damage.
Riyao laughed as he fought, his tone as relaxed as if he were doing morning exercises.
"So young and already so weak? This is all a Saint has?"
Jellal didn't answer. He just clenched his teeth, desperately maintaining his defense.
Riyao continued his output. His fists didn't stop, and neither did his mouth, harassing him verbally while attacking. Crucially, he particularly liked hitting him in the face.
"Look, Erza's here."
Jellal subconsciously glanced toward the door, but there was nothing—only an empty corridor.
Taking advantage of the moment he was distracted, Riyao smashed a fist into the bridge of his nose, making blood spray.
"Hehe, fooled you."
Jellal's expression twisted for a moment, but he quickly regained his calm.
Riyao continued his harassment, his tone carrying a hint of gossip.
"I heard you were a scumbag since you were a kid? Not only did you play with Erza's feelings, but you sold everyone out too?"
Jellal remained silent, but the veins on his forehead bulged, clearly enraged by Riyao's words.
"Are you still not going to fight back? It's no fun if you don't fight back. Am I hitting a person or a punching bag?"
Riyao landed another punch on Jellal's face, this time on his left cheek, which immediately swelled up.
"Having a tattoo on your head is just ridiculous. Oh wait, you were inscribed with magic that affects your consciousness."
Riyao tilted his head as if he had discovered something interesting.
"No wonder you're so crazy; your mind was influenced by magic. But then again, even if you were influenced, the things you've done are just too wicked, aren't they?"
Jellal reached his limit.
Since Etherion had already been activated anyway, it was only a matter of time. He didn't want to endure this any longer.
He recalled the Thought Projection scattered outside. That portion of magic power returned to his main body, and his aura surged instantly.
Boom!
Magic power erupted, blowing Riyao back. Riyao was pushed over a dozen meters by the shockwave, his feet plowing two deep furrows into the ground.
Jellal stood where he was, the magic power on his body burning like a wildfire. Golden Heavenly Body Magic swirled around him, with seven stars circling his body like a miniature galaxy.
"Enough."
Jellal's voice was cold.
"You are indeed strong, Riyao. But this game no longer requires you."
Riyao stabilized himself, nimbly performing a flip in the air. When he faced Jellal again, pitch-black Ink Flame had already condensed in his hands, the flames dancing in his palms and emitting scorching heat.
Looking at Jellal's surging magic power, the corner of his mouth curved into an even more dangerous arc.
"Oh? Finally getting serious?"
Riyao pushed his hands forward. The Ink Flame condensed to its limit in his palms before being suddenly released.
[Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill]
A massive pillar of pitch-black fire erupted from Riyao's palms, a full three meters in diameter. Carrying destructive power, it shot straight toward Jellal.
Wherever the fire pillar passed, the air was incinerated, the ground was scorched black, and the purple Lacrima let out ear-piercing cracks under the high temperature.
Jellal pushed his hands forward, and the seven stars converged into a Heavenly Body Shield in front of him.
The pitch-black flames and golden starlight collided in mid-air. The two forces tore at each other frantically, and the shockwave spread in all directions, making the entire tower shake violently.