In the heart of the Chaos Mountains, six colossal rock pillars, reaching to the sky, supported the awakened ancient city of Nirvana, like an ancient beast stretching its dangerous body in the darkness.
Two intertwined energy beams, representing pure light and deep darkness, shot up from the city's center, stirring the magic within a hundred-mile radius and emitting a heart-palpitating aura of law.
First Giant Leg - Due East
This colossal leg, like a pillar supporting the heavens, had a diameter large enough to accommodate several houses side by side. Its surface was covered with rough, ancient rock, etched with magic runes that shimmered with an eerie glow.
The base of the giant leg was deeply embedded in the fractured mountain bedrock. Visible streams of energy, like molten lava flowing deep within the earth's veins, converged and surged within the leg's core—a gigantic Magic Crystal, sustaining Nirvana's operation, was greedily devouring the earth's power.
Of the six giant legs, the one to the east was the closest, so among the few, Gajeel, who was not adept at speed, was the first to arrive.
"Tch, it's really big…" Gajeel landed on a massive boulder that had broken off and rolled down from the mountain, looking up at the incredible sight before him.
His iron-grey short hair stood on end, and his sharply defined young face was filled with impatience and a thirst for battle.
An iron-grey magic circle flashed under his feet and then vanished. "Let this big shot smash this annoying broken pillar!"
He leaped from the boulder, his movements full of the wild explosiveness of a beast.
The moment he landed, his right arm was already covered in pure steel, the ferocious patterns of iron dragon scales gleaming with a cold metallic luster in the dim light.
He took a deep breath, iron-grey magic surging in his throat, preparing to unleash the powerful Iron Dragon's Roar to strike the base of the leg—
"Whoosh—!"
A sharp whoosh tore through the stagnant air!
A dark red stream of venom, like a spear forged from pure malice, shot down with lightning speed from above and to the side, carrying a strong, corrosive stench, aiming directly for Gajeel's head!
Gajeel's eyes sharpened, reacting like lightning!
The steel on his right arm instantly transformed into a heavy tower shield, which he raised above his head!
"Clang—!!"
A piercing clang of metal echoed, accompanied by the "hissing" sound of white smoke!
The dark red venom violently struck the iron shield, splashing countless droplets of venom.
Obvious corrosive marks were left on the steel, emitting a pungent odor.
The immense impact caused Gajeel to lose his footing, sliding back several meters and plowing two deep furrows in the rocky ground.
"Hmph!" Gajeel shook his numb iron arm shield, flicking off the remaining venom, and glared ferociously at the source of the attack.
A figure, accompanied by a snake, stood steadily on a large overhanging rock at a higher elevation.
The person had striking deep red short hair and wore a long coat, primarily white with dark red stripes.
A faint, knowing, mocking smile played on his lips, as if he saw through everything.
Most unsettling were his eyes—deep purple pupils that shimmered with an inhuman, cold light.
At his feet, coiled was a purple Cobra, larger and more robust than an adult python!
The snake's scales gleamed eerily in the faint light, and the wide, wing-like membrane on its neck slightly puffed out, showing anger and vigilance.
Its thick tail slowly swayed, and its two-meter-long tongue hissed, emitting a suffocating sense of danger.
It was one of the Ten Demon Generals, the Poison Dragon Slayer Mage—Cobra!
"So noisy, you iron scrap." Cobra's voice had a raspy, metallic-friction quality, imbued with an aloof condescension.
"From the moment you stepped into the mountains, that annoying 'buzzing' hasn't stopped, like a bunch of headless flies. Your hearts,"
He tapped his temple lightly with a fingertip, a cynical smirk on his face, "are filled with foolish anger, arrogant self-confidence, and… hmm? A hint of… apprehension towards the power of that giant city (Nirvana)? Ha, what interesting and pathetic noise."
Gajeel straightened up, tilted his head, and fixed Cobra with a fierce, beast-like gaze. "Mind-reading… So you're Cobra?"
Before coming, Ezreal had already used the excuse of having an informant within the Council to inform his companions of all the intelligence he knew about the Ten Demon Generals.
Gajeel quickly reviewed the information about his opponent in his mind, a scornful smile appearing on his face. "A poison user, your luck is really bad. You ran into me; poison is useless against steel."
Cobra tilted his head slightly, his ears twitching twice. While Gajeel was recalling the intelligence, he had already heard the other party's thoughts, and his expression became slightly more serious. "Has the intelligence been leaked? How could the Council know so much?"
"Bastard! Who the hell gave you permission to eavesdrop on my thoughts?!" Gajeel's anger instantly ignited; he utterly detested such mind-probing abilities!
The iron dragon youth roared furiously, "You sneaky snake, do you only know how to hide and shoot sneak attacks?! Do you dare to come down and fight me head-on?! I'll twist your tongue off!"
Cobra's purple snake eyes narrowed, ignoring Gajeel's provocation, but seemingly "hearing" something deeper.
"Oh? The goal is to destroy the Magic Crystal? Deluding yourselves into trying to destroy Nirvana? Hmph, indeed the thoughts of those ignorant insects from Fairy Tail."
"But you… Iron Dragon Slayer Magic?" Cobra licked his lips, a deeper glint of interest flashing in his eyes. "Perfect, I've been bored for a long time."
"Your boring life ends here!" Gajeel grinned, his eyes wild and fierce, as he slowly walked forward.
As he took a step, an astonishing aura erupted, his black hair flying wildly. Teal dragon scales rapidly spread from his heart like molten iron, covering his entire body in the blink of an eye, transforming him into a cold steel giant!
"In front of my steel body, your disgusting venom isn't even good enough to scratch me!"
Having completed his transformation, Gajeel clanged his fists together, sparking a dazzling shower of fire. He grinned widely, letting out a wild, unrestrained laugh.
Gajeel's wild laughter was so grating to Cobra's ears.
What infuriated him even more was that he had indeed "heard" Gajeel's undisguised ecstasy and contempt erupting in his mind upon this discovery!
This feeling insulted him more than the fact that his proud venom was nullified!
"Arrogant iron scrap! Do you think a little metal can stop Lord Cobra?!" Cobra's face instantly darkened, his purple eyes gleaming intensely, and a suppressed, furious aura spread.
The giant purple Cobra familiar beside him also sensed its master's emotions, hissing and raising its head, spewing purplish-black venom mist from between its fangs.
"Hiss—!"
With a sharp, low hiss from Cobra, the purple Cobra's venom mist suddenly solidified!
A massive snake mouth, three meters in diameter, formed from thick, dark red venom mist, with bared fangs and a bone-chilling stench, suddenly shot out from in front of Cobra!
"Poison Dragon's Exploding Fang!"
The giant venomous fanged mouth roared, biting down on Gajeel from mid-air with overwhelming force!
"Come on! Iron Dragon's Roar!"
Facing this terrifying attack, Gajeel advanced instead of retreating!
He took a deep breath, his chest rapidly expanding, and an iron-grey dragon head magic circle appeared beneath his feet!
An extraordinarily powerful Iron Dragon Slayer Magic was furiously compressed in his mouth, and then—
"Roar——————!!!"
A solid-looking, thick iron-grey shockwave, with a diameter far exceeding Cobra's venomous fanged mouth, carrying destructive power capable of piercing mountains, bravely met the dark red venomous giant mouth!
Boom!!!
The two powerful Dragon Slayer Magic clashed violently in mid-air!
The iron-grey shockwave, like the most furious sledgehammer, slammed hard into the core of the dark red venomous fanged mouth!
The overwhelming force instantly tore and shattered the venom-condensed structure!
The dark red venom mist scattered like thick ink blown away by a strong wind, splashing everywhere and corroding the surrounding rocky ground with sizzling sounds.
The core iron-grey shockwave continued unabated, fiercely blasting towards the overhanging rock where Cobra stood!
"Hmph!" Cobra snorted coldly, his figure flashing, easily dodging the residual power of the shockwave.
A large crater was blasted into the rock beneath his feet. The purple Cobra coiled agilely beside him.
"Strength and destructive power… indeed different from those mere scraps." Cobra "heard" Gajeel's smugness after the attack, and a cold sneer formed in his heart.
He suddenly raised his right hand!
"Poison Dragon's Scales!"
Countless dark red venomous spikes rained down from his palm!
The area covered was vast, and each venomous spike carried extremely strong penetrating power and the ability to spread poison!
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