The fierce magic saturating Tenrou Island reached a new crescendo as Hades conjured an army of demons from broken rubble. Their misshapen bodies, birthed by a magic steeped in the darkest depths of the abyss, stood in ranks between him and Su Yan.
"All of these… monsters…" Makarov whispered hoarsely, feeling despair press against his chest. He could sense the power draining from every Fairy Tail member on the island, the withering of the Tenrou Tree nullifying its protection. Only Su Yan stood unaffected.
Hades, eyes dark with smug confidence, inclined his head. "You see now, boy? My magic—my 'dance of devils'—can birth an entire legion at my whim. Each one bears destructive might. What can you do against an army?"
Su Yan exhaled slowly, meeting Hades's gaze without flinching. "I should've ended this sooner, before you even set foot on the island. My hesitation let your guild spread chaos."
He swept his eyes across the legion of demons. Nostrils flaring, he muttered, "No more half-measures…"
Hades sneered. "Are you still so arrogant? The world has changed, child. The Fairy Tail wizards are drained. You stand alone."
"I don't need an army," Su Yan replied evenly. "I don't even need magic. I only need my own power."
Dark clouds churned overhead, swirling as though in response to Su Yan's rising aura. A thunderbolt streaked across the sky, detonating in a flash upon the ground near him. Debris kicked high, and the air filled with static. Around Su Yan, a monstrous pressure built—his Conqueror's Haki mixing with something even more primal.
"What's… happening?" Makarov rasped, eyes widening as he sensed Su Yan's power spike.
Two small, curved horns sprouted from Su Yan's forehead—glowing faintly with an otherworldly sheen. The tatters of his clothing rippled, snapping away as scaled plates began to creep across his arms and chest. A low rumble poured from his throat like distant thunder.
"All that talk about your 'abyss,' Hades," Su Yan said quietly, voice deepening into a guttural resonance. "Well, let me show you one of my own."
The ground split underfoot, and arcs of purple lightning crackled. His eyes shone yellow and slitted, reminiscent of a dragon's. The shift of muscle and bone resounded with wet pops, as massive wings, scaled in shimmering azure, tore free from his back. His body elongated in places, a sinuous tail bursting from his spine. From the corners of his mouth, fangs jutted, and every exhalation sent steam rolling off his lips.
At last, Su Yan stood revealed in half-dragon form: far larger than before, ringed in lethal claws and iron-hard scales, draconic horns curling skyward. A wave of pure, bestial might spread from him—enough to crack the ground further and force Makarov to step back.
"The… the rumors were true," Makarov breathed, trembling at the raw majesty before him. "He can take on the form of a dragon."
Even Hades, who had boasted unshakeable confidence, stared with quiet shock. The newly birthed demons began to quake, some stumbling backward in abject terror. A faint shimmer of fear crossed Hades's face.
"You've forced me to do this," Su Yan said, his draconic voice low and rumbling. "Your cunning. Your cruelty. The threat you pose to Fairy Tail. You want to drown the world in darkness? Not on my watch."
Hades tried to compose himself, though sweat beaded along his brow. "Impressive façade. But it's all just one more body to feed my devils. You think you alone can stave off the Great Magic World we seek?"
Su Yan's elongated pupils narrowed. "I'm done talking."
The demon legion scrambled, driven by Hades's silent command—rushing forward in a twisted wave of teeth and claws. Above them, Hades raised his hands, chanting a fresh incantation. Makarov, barely able to stand, could only watch in dread. Even if he tried to help, his magic was nearly gone.
But in an instant, Su Yan lunged, draconic claws slicing upward through the air. A gale whipped out, splitting the swarm of demons. Dozens of them exploded into black smoke on impact, shrieking in ephemeral agony.
Hades unleashed a barrage of dark spells, each bullet-like hex aiming to pierce Su Yan's scaled hide. Yet arcs of azure flame flickered around Su Yan's body, incinerating the attacks before they could touch him. Step by step, the dragon-man advanced.
The demons roared, surging again. Su Yan inhaled sharply, his massive chest expanding, then exhaled in a blue-white inferno. The draconic flame shredded the demonic line, leaving only cinders.
"What… is this monstrous aura?" Hades muttered, forced to leap aside as Su Yan's tail lashed out, shattering boulders. One of the final demon creatures lunged for Su Yan's flank, but with a flick of his wing, Su Yan batted it aside, splitting it in half.
Makarov watched in silent awe. The entire tide of summoned demons was being dismantled. The storm of black magic Hades had so proudly conjured was powerless before Su Yan's unstoppable wrath.
"It's over," Su Yan growled, towering before Hades, who stumbled, chest heaving. "You're done."
Hades's mouth twisted in anger, but he refused to yield. "I am the Master of Grimoire Heart—acolyte of the abyss, caretaker of Zeref's return! My power is boundless!"
Laughing manically, Hades yanked forth a sinister black grimoire from within his coat. Its pages flipped on their own, vile magic roiling from them. Another wave of thick darkness poured out, forming monstrous shapes. Su Yan's eyes flashed dangerously.
"Still not finished, huh?"
He reared back, letting out a guttural roar. In that roar lay a primal force that shook the air, a draconic bellow that hammered Hades's new fiends to ash before they even solidified.
"W-what…?!" Hades choked, the book trembling in his hands.
Su Yan inhaled once more, conjuring swirling energy in his draconic jaws. "Your illusions, your devils, your magic… none of it matters now."
A swirl of wind and azure flames coalesced, forming a swirling orb of destructive might. Makarov realized the devastation that would follow but found no strength to intervene. Hades braced for the final blow.
"Be gone," Su Yan rumbled—and unleashed the blast.