The Magic Merchant in Fairy Tail

Thousands of years ago, gods and demons waged a bitter war.

To counter the overwhelming numbers of demons, humans, in collaboration with the gods, devised a sinister plan: to fracture the unity of the demon race from within.

Thus, a forbidden black magic was created, one so vile it could destroy its own creators. This magic, through deliberate "coincidence," fell into the hands of the demons. Its name was Demonic Cannibalism.

This dark art allowed demons of the same lineage to consume one another, permanently gaining the other's vitality, physical prowess, and unique magic. The cost was catastrophic. The magic set off a centuries-long civil war among the demons, as their greed and hunger consumed them.

The Sea Demon King was one of the abominable products of this era—an apex predator born of demonic bloodshed. While the civil war decimated the demon race, it also birthed a few titanic figures, including the Sea Demon King.

In the end, the plan worked. The gods and humans easily suppressed the fragmented demons, ushering in an era of tenuous peace.

As the solar eclipse reached its zenith, the Ice Demon Ace released the freezing magic binding the Sea Demon King. Two suffocating, sinister auras erupted from the ice, filling the air with a malevolent presence.

The stench was overwhelming—an odious combination of decay and unrestrained evil. Kira fought back a wave of nausea as he stared at the monstrous figure.

Dark. Chaotic. Bloody. Disgusting.

No words were sufficient to capture the pure malevolence emanating from the Sea Demon King.

Even Deliora, whom Kira had encountered on Garna Island, was no match for this monstrosity.

"It's worse than I imagined," Kira muttered, instinctively stepping in front of Winter.

Despite Ace's earlier defeat, he now radiated a renewed, terrifying power. It was clear that suppressing the Sea Demon King had been draining him all along.

Then, with a triumphant shout, Ace declared:

"Dark Magic: Demonic Cannibalism!"

He placed his hands on the struggling Sea Demon King. The two auras intertwined violently as winds howled and snow flew in a blinding frenzy. Ice and water coalesced, merging into a single, monstrous force.

Moments later, the wind and snow settled. The Sea Demon King was gone, leaving behind only Ace.

But Ace was no longer the same. His transformation was horrifying.

Gone was his mage-like appearance. Now, he stood over two meters tall, his muscular form radiating raw power. His blue skin glistened like frost, and his crimson eyes burned with unholy energy.

"Wow, one-click transformation!" Kira exclaimed, though his tone betrayed his unease.

Winter stared at the hulking figure in shock. "What did he do? Where's the demon?"

Kira didn't mince words. "He ate it."

"What? But wasn't he its follower?!"

The girl's naivety momentarily stunned Kira. He sighed, "Winter, let this be a lesson: never trust a demon."

Turning to Ace, Kira continued, "So, devouring your so-called master was your plan all along, huh?"

"You misunderstand, human wizard," Ace said, his voice resonating with a newfound depth. "I needed their help to weaken the Sea Demon King. Alone, I couldn't have subdued it. They were necessary sacrifices for a greater purpose."

Kira narrowed his eyes. "You're even worse than I thought. Let me guess—you plan to devour everyone else too."

"Mock me if you wish," Ace growled, "but soon, you will join the others as fuel for my power!"

With that, he lunged at Kira, his fist cloaked in a deadly mix of ice and water magic.

"Defense!"

Kira invoked the simplest but most solid barrier using Word Magic. A shimmering, translucent shield appeared before him, absorbing the brunt of Ace's attack. The icy water split around the shield, flooding the area and turning the battlefield into a swamp.

"Not bad for a warm-up," Kira taunted, though his mind was racing.

Ace's new attacks combined the speed of water magic with the sheer destructive force of ice, making him a far more dangerous opponent than before.

"Winter!" Kira called over his shoulder. "Now's your chance to shine!"

"What do you want me to do?!" Winter shouted, clearly overwhelmed.

"Be useful!"

Winter glared but knew he was right. She summoned her water magic, creating a barrier to hold back the rising floodwaters.

Meanwhile, Kira launched a counterattack. "Flare Lance!"

Dozens of flaming spears erupted from his hands, hurtling toward Ace. But the Ice Demon King waved his arm, freezing the air itself to form a wall of jagged ice that deflected the lances.

Ace smirked. "Your flames are useless against me."

"Really? Then how about this—"

Kira combined his Word Magic with Winter's water magic, directing the flow of icy water into a narrow channel. With a single word, he transformed the stream into molten magma.

"Lava Surge!"

The molten stream roared toward Ace, melting his icy defenses on contact.

Ace howled in pain as the lava splashed against his arm, leaving burns that sizzled and smoked.

"You—!" Ace roared, retreating to higher ground.

"Looks like lava works just fine," Kira said, smirking.

Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Ace released a powerful surge of magic, freezing the entire battlefield in an instant.

The sudden drop in temperature shocked Winter, who struggled to maintain her footing.

Kira, however, was ready. With a wave of his hand, he created a fiery aura to protect them from the cold.

But the true danger lay in Ace's next move. The demon raised his hands, summoning a massive wave of ice and water that loomed over the battlefield.

"Let's see you survive this, wizard!" Ace roared.

Kira's eyes narrowed. "Winter, get ready. This is going to be big."

As the wave descended, Kira and Winter prepared for their most dangerous battle yet.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Go to my Patreon Account to read up to 30 Advance Chapters

patreon.com/Izanami_no_Mikoto