While the three were delivering a righteous beatdown, Natsu rushed to the top of the tower.
He was soaking wet and covered in Fukuro's slime, but he was full of energy, with flames crackling in his palms.
As soon as he arrived, he saw Riyao, Mirajane, and Erza ganging up on a blue-haired guy. Without overthinking, he jumped right in.
"Out of the way, out of the way! It's my turn!"
Natsu threw a punch enveloped in flames.
The four of them didn't have great coordination, but they had a mutual understanding; as soon as one finished an attack, another would follow up, giving Jellal no room to breathe.
Riyao finished an Ink Flame claw strike, followed immediately by Natsu's fire punch; as Natsu pulled back, Mirajane's clawed blades filled the gap; as Mirajane retreated, Erza's sword slash took over; as Erza withdrew her sword, Riyao charged in again.
Jellal was bombarded by the four in rotation. Although he could still hold his ground, he was clearly stretched thin.
He gave a cold laugh as celestial magic power erupted within him, his body turning into a golden stream of light.
[Meteor]
Jellal's movement speed surged, his figure flickering unpredictably atop the tower like a meteor streaking across the sky, causing the four's continuous attacks to miss.
He brought his hands together, raising seven fingers as magic power condensed at his fingertips.
[Grand Chariot]
A golden magic circle in the shape of the Big Dipper was drawn in the sky. The seven stars lit up in sequence, then seven meteor-level pillars of light descended. Each pillar carried destructive power, all aiming for Erza.
Erza dodged and shifted, but the area covered by the seven pillars was too large. She dodged four in a row, the fifth grazed her shoulder, the sixth exploded by her feet, the shockwave sending her flying, and the seventh hit her head-on.
Boom!
Erza was blasted off the tower, her figure disappearing over the edge of the roof.
"Erza!" Natsu shouted.
Mirajane's expression also changed, but Jellal wouldn't give her a chance to be distracted as another beam of starlight shot toward her.
Natsu puffed out his cheeks to build up power, flames condensing to the extreme in his mouth, then he suddenly opened it.
[Fire Dragons Roar]
Crimson flames roared out, forming a wall of fire that burned away all the starlight Jellal had shot at Mirajane.
The afterglow of the flames illuminated the entire tower top, and a wave of heat hit them.
Taking advantage of the fire wall's cover, Mirajane spread her demon wings and dove down, catching the falling Erza before flying back to the top of the tower.
Jellal had activated [Meteor], his movement path changing constantly—left, right, up, down—like an elusive butterfly.
Riyao used his flames to move quickly in straight lines, but he still couldn't effectively pursue him. Every time he reached Jellal's previous position, Jellal had already moved elsewhere.
Riyao stopped, held his hands together, and condensed Ink Flame in his palms.
[Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill]
A massive pillar of pitch-black fire blasted out, but Jellal easily sidestepped it. The fire pillar flew past him and struck the distant tower wall.
Jellal laughed, putting his hands behind his back with a mocking expression.
"Your aim is far too poor."
A smile tugged at the corner of Riyao's mouth. Ink Flame Heaven-Burning Kill wasn't aimed at Jellal, but at Natsu.
The pitch-black fire pillar headed straight for Natsu. Instead of dodging, Natsu opened his mouth and gulped down the Ink Flame in large mouthfuls.
The black flames were absorbed by his body, merging with his Dragon Slayer Magic inside him.
After swallowing the last bit of Ink Flame, Natsu wiped his mouth and flashed a bright grin.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Riyao mocked him back sarcastically.
"What does a clown like you know? That's called tactics."
With pitch-black flames in one hand and crimson flames in the other, two completely different fires burned on his arms, erupting with staggering heat.
He kicked off the ground forcefully, charging at Jellal like a cannonball.
[Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Ink Flame Exploding Blade]
Natsu swung his arms, the pitch-black and crimson flames merging into a spiral slash that blasted toward Jellal with destructive force.
Jellal stopped smiling.
The power of this attack far exceeded his previous estimates. He didn't have time to dodge and could only tank it.
He raised one hand, summoning six magical celestial bodies and firing them at high speed to form a dense barrage.
[Pleiades]
The six celestial bodies shot toward Natsu like bullets, but Natsu's Ink Flame Exploding Blade tore right through the barrage and continued closing in on Jellal.
Jellal pushed his hands forward, releasing nine lightning-attribute magic swords that combined lightning damage with a piercing effect.
[Kyuraishin]
Nine lightning swords whistled out, forming a lightning sword array that attacked Natsu and Erza simultaneously.
In the limited space atop the tower, Natsu and Erza couldn't dodge them all. The power of Natsu's Ink Flame Exploding Blade was dispersed by the lightning swords, causing the attack to veer off course and blast a large crater into the tower wall.
Jellal attacked Mirajane and Riyao at the same time, with starlight and lightning swords alternating, preventing the two from supporting Natsu and Erza.
Riyao observed the state of the entire tower while dodging. The magic power within the Lacrima was becoming increasingly unstable, its light flickering like a bomb that could explode at any moment.
He remembered that this R-System was unstable and would eventually explode; if they dragged this out, they would all die here.
Riyao made a decision.
"Mira, take Natsu and Erza and go. I'm going to retract the Life Link."
Mirajane dodged a beam of starlight and turned to look at Riyao, her face full of anxiety.
"If we leave, what about you?!"
Riyao replied confidently, his tone as casual as if he were discussing what to eat today.
"I can still fly; worst case, I'll just run. You guys are just getting in the way here, so leave quickly."
Mirajane thought for a moment, grit her teeth, and nodded.
She knew Riyao wasn't the type to joke with his own life; if he said he could run, he definitely could.
She spread her demon wings, grabbed Erza with one hand and the still-struggling Natsu with the other, flapped her wings hard, and flew away from the tower.
Natsu was still struggling, flames crackling in his hands.
"Let me go! I can still fight! That blue-haired guy hasn't been beaten down by me yet!"
Erza looked back at the top of the tower and shouted, "Riyao! Be careful!"
Seeing his prize about to slip away, Jellal's face changed drastically, and he rushed forward to stop them.
He turned into a golden stream of light and charged, attempting to intercept Mirajane.
Riyao wasn't about to let Jellal have his way. He blocked Jellal's path and unleashed an Ink Flame slash. The black flames collided with the golden starlight, and the shockwave knocked Jellal back a few steps.
Jellal steadied himself and watched the retreating trio of Mirajane's group. His face became distorted, and he grit his teeth.
"Since Erza has run away, I'll use you as the sacrifice! Your body is also an excellent sacrifice, hahahaha!"
Riyao took a deep breath as he watched Jellal's frenzied state.
[Life Link]
The golden light disappeared from their bodies.
[Hundred Battles Technique]
The golden runes faded from Riyao's body.
[Life Mimicry: Demon]
The black scales shattered, the demon wings dissipated, and Riyao returned to his original form, standing fresh and clean on the tower top.
Seeing Riyao deactivate all his enhancements, Jellal broke into a triumphant smile. He didn't care what state Riyao was in and charged straight at him, intending to shove Riyao into the Lacrima as a sacrifice.
"You're seeking death!"
Jellal reached for Riyao's chest, golden magic power condensing in his palm, preparing to force Riyao into the R-System.
Riyao didn't retreat or dodge.
He stood his ground, took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently. Then, his body began to change.
Magic power fluctuated violently, and the power surging from within Riyao was even more terrifying and ancient than his demon form.
A large amount of steam rose from his body like a boiling cauldron, distorting the surrounding air.
Jellal had gone mad, rushing into the steam regardless of the danger.
Dark clouds filled the sky, and the sea became turbulent. With the Tower of Paradise as the center, waves rolled outward one after another.
Jellal reached Riyao and was about to make a move.
Riyao reached out with his eyes closed, grabbed Jellal by the neck, tightened his fingers, and lifted Jellal off the ground.