These gold sand seemed to possess life; the moment they erupted, they converged and shaped themselves wildly towards a central point, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
Their speed was so fast, it surpassed visual capture!
In just one-thousandth of a second!
A colossal lion's head, over twenty meters tall, composed of pure gold sand, dramatically formed!
It stood between Ezreal and that fatal dark ray!
The lion's head was lifelike, its mane flying, its fangs ferocious, every grain of gold sand gleamed with a metallic luster, exuding a majestic aura as heavy as a mountain and indestructible!
"Bang—!!!"
The condensed dark ray slammed into the gold sand lion's head between its brows!
There was no earth-shattering explosion!
Only a dull, heart-pounding thud!
The dark ray seemed to have struck an ancient, unmoving bedrock!
The viscous dark energy furiously corroded and melted the gold sand, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound, and large swathes of gold sand turned into ethereal dust under the dark erosion!
However!
The gold sand lion's head seemed endless!
The melted parts were instantly replenished by the gold sand surging from behind!
The entire lion's head tilted back slightly like a living creature, absorbing the impact, but its core remained unmoving!
At the point of impact between the brows, the gold sand flowed and rapidly repaired itself, even forcefully expelling and annihilating the dark energy that tried to spread!
Finally!
That dark ray, capable of piercing mountains, after exhausting all its energy, only left a charred pit the size of a bowl and about half a foot deep between the gold sand lion's brows before completely dissipating!
Amidst the swirling dust, the gold sand lion's head slowly lowered, like a guardian beast, protecting Ezreal behind it.
A figure, stepping on the surging torrent of gold sand, landed steadily on the broad bridge of the gold sand lion's nose, like a monarch born from the earth!
His green hair danced wildly in the turbulent airflow, his emerald eyes, like the finest jade, burned with a rage capable of incinerating the netherworld, locking onto Zero not far away!
"You half-human, half-ghost mongrel..." Max's voice was bone-chillingly cold, every word seeming to carry the clang of gold sand rubbing together, "What do you intend to do... to my closest friend?!"
His voice was not loud, yet it exploded like thunder in the dead silence of the battlefield!
His undisguised, almost tangible killing intent, like a cold blade, fiercely stabbed at Zero!
Zero's crimson pupils suddenly constricted!
He stared intently at the suddenly appearing Max, and the gold sand lion's head beneath his feet, which exuded a heavy sense of oppression, and for the first time, a look of surprise and uncertainty appeared on his distorted face!
This green-haired kid... could actually block his Nocturne Fantasy?!
But this... was just the beginning!
Whoosh—!
A clear, cold blade light, like a cold moon cutting through the night sky, silently attacked from Zero's left side!
Before the blade light even arrived, that extreme sharpness, capable of severing everything and freezing souls, already made the black cracks on Zero's exposed skin feel a stinging pain!
Ikaruga!
She had appeared in Zero's blind spot on the left side at some unknown moment, her long blade unsheathed three inches, its cold edge reflecting her expressionless, beautiful face.
She said nothing, only pure, exquisitely condensed killing intent, locked onto Zero's neck!
Zero's crimson pupils suddenly contracted to pinprick size, and the dark magic around him surged wildly like boiling ink!
Ikaruga's blade light had already touched his neck skin; Zero sharply turned his head, the blade grazing his Adam's apple, bringing forth a string of black blood beads.
His left hand, like an iron pincer, clamped down on Ikaruga's sword-wielding wrist, the dark energy around his fingertips sizzling, but Ikaruga spun to avoid it—her wrist flicked, and the blade light swept towards Zero's ribs, forcing him to lean back.
Boom—!
The air on the right was torn by a furious power!
A figure clad in magnificent silver-white armor, like a Valkyrie, descended from the sky!
The steel wings spread behind her stirred up a fierce wind!
Erza, holding a greatsword, pointed its blade directly at Zero's heart; the bloodstains and damage on her armor, far from weakening her aura, added a few points of brutal majesty from a battle to the death!
The twelve magic swords of Heavens Wheel Armor floated behind her, their tips spitting cold light!
"Zero! Your doomsday is here!" Erza's voice was like the clash of metal!
Her greatsword, carrying immense power, thrust towards his heart; Zero stomped his right foot, and dark magic condensed into a thick shield in front of him.
"Clang!" The greatsword struck the shield, sparks flew, and the shield instantly cracked, but it also deflected the fatal blow.
He used the recoil to shift left, avoiding the blade, while his right hand clawed towards a gap in Erza's armor, but he was precisely intercepted by the floating magic swords behind her; amidst the clang of collisions, the two exchanged several moves in an instant.
"Bastard! Take this punch! Fire Dragon's—Iron Fist!!!" A furious roar came from above Zero's head!
Natsu's figure crashed down like a meteor!
White wings, formed from Happy's magic, spread behind him, boosting his speed to the maximum!
On his right fist, the crimson flames were no longer merely coiling but had completely transformed into a roaring dragon's head!
The scorching heat ignited the very air!
This punch, fiercely struck towards Zero's crown!
As the burning sensation came from above, Natsu's Fire Dragon Iron Fist was already upon him.
The moment Zero looked up, he opened his mouth and spewed out a thick ball of dark fire, which collided with the dragon-headed flames.
"Boom!" The searing fire and chilling darkness exploded, the shockwave made Zero's hair stand on end; he used the impact to rapidly descend, narrowly avoiding the punch.
The dragon-infused flames grazed his scalp, singeing a few strands of black hair.
"Ice Make—Zero Dawn!" Gray's figure appeared behind Zero like a ghost!
His bare torso was covered in frost patterns, and he held a giant ice crystal magic sword, over five meters long, condensed from extreme cold!
Ice-blue runes flowed on the blade, exuding an absolute low temperature that could freeze souls!
The tip of the sword pointed directly at Zero's back!
A bone-chilling cold suddenly assailed his lower back; Gray's ice crystal magic sword had reached his clothing.
Zero's face was dripping with gloom; he twisted his waist sharply, contorting into an eerie angle as if boneless, the magic sword grazing his spine, leaving behind a patch of congealed black ice.
He backhanded a palm strike onto the blade, dark energy spreading along the edge, but it was frozen by the extreme cold Gray injected; in the instant of their struggle, the ice shards and black mist condensed on the blade exploded simultaneously.
"fairy card · Sword of Judgment!" Cana's voice carried a hint of fatigue, yet it was exceptionally firm!
She had appeared beside Ezreal at some unknown time, and the golden card in her hand shone brightly!
Dozens of golden light swords, composed of pure holy light, appeared out of thin air, like judgment scythes, striking fiercely at Zero's vital points from all angles, imbued with the sacred aura of purifying evil!
Zero's eyes widened, two wisps of black gas spewed from his nostrils, and a circle of dark ripples suddenly erupted around him; wherever the ripples passed, the holy light swords slowed drastically as if plunging into a swamp.
He crossed his arms to block, and several light swords exploded upon hitting his arms, holy energy and dark magic annihilating each other, leaving behind a burning sensation, but he used this brief obstruction to turn sideways and avoid vital points.
"Iron Dragon Rod!" A low, hoarse roar!
Gajeel's figure crashed in from the side like a cannonball!
His entire body was covered in cold steel dragon scales, and his arms had completely transformed into heavy, spiky Iron Dragon Rods!
As the Iron Dragon Rods swung, they let out a shriek that tore the air, smashing fiercely at Zero's waist and ribs!
He still had a piece of iron in his mouth, furiously replenishing his magic, his eyes gleaming with indomitable fighting spirit!
Zero's left toe touched the ground, and his body spun like a top; the Iron Dragon Rod grazed his hip bone and swept past, smashing into the ground and creating a deep pit.
As he spun, his right leg swept out with black mist, striking Gajeel's steel chest, but there was only a dull "clang," and Gajeel remained motionless; instead, he opened his mouth and spewed an Iron Dragon's Roar, forcing Zero to leap back and dodge.
"Open, Gate of the Canis Major! Nicola!" Yukino's voice carried a hint of urgency!
A flash of silver light, and the giant Canis Major Celestial Spirit Nicola appeared; the lion-tiger sized giant silver wolf, carrying Yukino and Lucy, charged into the battlefield like a silver lightning bolt!
Nicola let out a deafening roar, its sharp claws gleaming with cold light!
Yukino rode on Nicola's back, tightly gripping her Celestial Spirit key, her eyes sharp!
Lucy, meanwhile, rapidly flipped through the golden keys in her hand, searching for a Celestial Spirit that could turn the tide of battle!
Under Yukino's control, Canis Major Nicola bared its fangs, and scattered colorful light in the air quickly accumulated in the silver wolf's mouth; the next second, a brilliant silver light beam erupted.
Zero no longer had time to dodge; he was hit head-on by the silver light, sent flying, and slammed heavily into the wall, instantly raising dust and smoke.
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