The Magic Merchant in Fairy Tail

"Uh… what did you just say?!" Winter stared at Kira in disbelief, clenching her fists. "You're supposed to be the strongest among us! How can you say you're afraid of death?"

Hearing her words, Kira couldn't help but smile. Ah, the sweet sound of being called the strongest!

"Who says you can't be afraid of death just because you're strong?" Kira replied with a smirk, stepping toward the passage on the far right. The path was pitch black, but Kira reached into his pack and pulled out a glowing magic crystal. As the crystal lit up the tunnel, he glanced back and noticed Winter following him.

"The more you have, the more you fear losing it," Kira continued as they walked. "Similarly, the stronger you are, the more you fear death. Fear is natural; it's part of being human."

"And what? You're trying to justify cowardice?" Winter shot back, her tone sharp but her expression curious.

"Not cowardice," Kira corrected her, wagging a finger. "True strength comes from facing your fears, acknowledging them, and conquering them. To overcome fear is to overcome yourself. That's how you grow stronger!"

Winter blinked, processing his words. "So… you're saying I need to face my fear?"

"Exactly!" Kira said, nodding sagely.

"I'm not afraid of anything," Winter declared, her voice steady.

Kira paused, glancing back at her with an awkward smile. This girl doesn't make things easy…

"Ahem… Well done!" Kira said after a moment, adjusting his tone. "It seems you've already faced your fear. Very impressive! You're a quick learner."

Winter tilted her head, eyeing him suspiciously. "Wait… was that supposed to be a motivational speech? It wasn't very… inspiring."

Kira froze, his face stiffening. "What? Of course, it was! It's just that the delivery may have been… too subtle for you to appreciate!"

Winter giggled, a rare sound from her. "Maybe I'll believe you if you stop trying so hard."

The end of the passage opened into a massive ice chamber. Frost clung to every surface, and the air was frigid enough to make even Winter, accustomed to snow-capped mountains, shiver.

"It's freezing in here!" Kira muttered, rubbing his arms through his coat. He stomped his feet, trying to generate some warmth. His movements, however, made him look less like an S-class wizard and more like a child caught in a sudden blizzard.

Winter, though trembling slightly, stood firm. "Is this their lair?" she asked, her voice steady despite the cold.

"Possibly," Kira replied, his gaze scanning the chamber. His eyes fell on a massive ice sculpture at the center—a grotesque, towering figure frozen mid-roar.

The statue exuded a malevolent aura that made Kira's skin crawl.

"This must be the Sea Demon King," Kira said softly.

Winter followed his gaze, her eyes narrowing. "So that's their goal."

Kira nodded. "It's sealed in absolute ice… but I can feel its power even from here. Compared to this, Deliora from Galuna Island was nothing but a candle next to a bonfire."

They stepped carefully into the chamber, their boots crunching against the frost-covered floor. Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of danger swept over Kira, setting his nerves on edge.

"Watch out!" he shouted, grabbing Winter and leaping backward.

The spot where they had been standing erupted in jagged ice spikes, shooting upward like a deadly fountain. The entire floor transformed into a field of frozen blades.

"I knew it," Kira muttered, placing Winter behind him. "Do all ice wizards use the same attack patterns? Where's the originality?"

A figure emerged from the shadows, stepping forward with deliberate, confident strides. His body was sculpted from pure ice, his features sharp and unyielding. Despite his humanoid shape, his aura screamed demon.

"So you're the Fairy Tail wizard who defeated Klaue," the figure said, his voice resonating like shards of ice scraping together. "My name is Ace."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Ace? That's your name? I was expecting something cooler, like Frostbite or Iceblade."

Ace's expression didn't change, but his aura intensified, pressing down on Kira and Winter with crushing force. The sheer magical power made Winter's knees buckle, sweat forming on her brow despite the cold.

Kira stepped forward, shielding her. "Stay back. This one's mine."

"You're strong," Ace said, his tone almost bored. "Stronger than that fire wizard or the one with ice. But it won't matter."

"We'll see about that," Kira shot back, raising his hands as a brilliant blue magic circle flared to life beneath him.

Ace struck first, conjuring an arsenal of ice-based attacks. "Ice Cannon!" "Ice Spear!" "Ice Falcon!" "Ice Monster!"

The chamber exploded with frost as four massive attacks converged on Kira.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Kira responded, summoning his own magic. "Burn!" "Oxygen!" "Oil!" "Dry!"

Flames roared to life, fueled by Kira's strategic layering of word magic. With each spell enhancing the other, the fire blazed hotter and brighter, melting the oncoming ice before it could reach him.

Ace's ice attacks disintegrated, steam filling the chamber as the opposing magics clashed.

"So, fire is your answer?" Ace sneered. "Let's see how long you can keep it up."

Ace raised his hands, summoning a massive wave of ice. The frozen wall surged forward, threatening to engulf Kira and Winter.

Kira smirked, his confidence unshaken. "Fire alone? Who said anything about just fire?"

He stomped his foot, activating a second magic circle. "Gravity!"

The ice wave halted mid-charge, its weight increasing exponentially as Kira's gravity magic took hold. With a flick of his wrist, the frozen mass crumbled, falling harmlessly to the ground.

Ace's eyes narrowed. "Impressive. But you can't win with tricks alone."

"Good thing I have more than tricks," Kira said.

He thrust his hands forward. "Time Magic: Accelerate!"

The air around Ace shimmered as Kira manipulated the flow of time, forcing Ace to act faster than his body could handle. The ice demon staggered, his movements becoming erratic as his own speed worked against him.

"What is this?!" Ace growled, struggling to regain control.

"Rule-breaking magic," Kira said with a grin. "You demons aren't the only ones who can bend reality."

Ace snarled, his icy form trembling under the strain of Kira's magic. But instead of retreating, his aura flared even brighter. "If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!"

Kira's grin faded. "Winter, get back."

The battle was far from over.

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