Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

A figure appeared in front of Lucy, clad in a sleek black suit with golden hair that shimmered under the light. His handsome features were unmistakable.

"Loke?!" Lucy gasped, her eyes widening in shock. This was Loke, the long-lost Celestial Spirit of the Zodiac, Leo.

"Attack Erza!" Angel commanded, her voice sharp as she ordered Gemini, who had taken the form of Loke, to strike.

But Loke remained unmoved, his expression calm and unyielding.

"Huh?!" Lucy blinked in confusion.

Loke smirked, his voice steady. "I am the strongest Celestial Spirit. My gate is opened using my own magic. Your control doesn't work on me."

"Amazing!" Lucy exclaimed, relief flooding her face as she realized Loke wasn't under Angel's control. "Loke, please! You have to take her down!"

"Don't worry," Loke replied confidently, his gaze fixed on Angel.

Angel laughed, her tone mocking. "Not bad, little Lucy. But if Oracion Seis could be taken down so easily, you'd be underestimating us."

She pulled out another key, chanting the summoning spell. "Open, Gate of the Golden Ram! Aries!"

A burst of light followed, and the Celestial Spirit Aries appeared before them. She was a gentle-looking woman with a soft demeanor.

"I'm sorry, Leo," Aries said softly, her voice filled with regret.

"Aries…" Loke's voice trembled as he stared at her. Aries had once been under the same master as him—Karen, his former contractor. Loke had stayed in the human world for three months to protect Aries, but Karen had died before he could return to the Celestial Spirit World. It was Lucy who had eventually helped him return.

"How… how could you?!" Lucy's body shook with anger as she pieced together the truth. "Why do you have Karen's Celestial Spirit?!"

Angel smirked, her tone casual. "Because I killed her. This is my spoils of war."

Loke's fists clenched, his body trembling with rage. Though he hadn't always agreed with Karen's treatment of Aries, she had still been his master. Her death weighed heavily on him, and now, the woman responsible stood before him.

"You rarely meet under such circumstances, Loke…" Lucy said softly, her voice filled with sympathy.

Loke took a deep breath, his expression hardening. "Please don't look down on me, Lucy. Even if we were once friends, now we are enemies. As Celestial Spirits, we fight for our masters."

Aries nodded, her voice steady despite the pain in her eyes. "Even if there was once kindness between us, we must now fight for our masters. That is the pride of a Celestial Spirit."

With that, Loke and Aries charged at each other, their movements swift and determined.

"Oh? A fight between Celestial Spirits? How interesting!" Angel said, her laughter ringing out. Though Aries was weaker in combat compared to Loke, Angel seemed unfazed.

Lucy's voice trembled with anger. "Celestial Spirits have feelings too! How can you treat them like this? Aren't you supposed to be a Celestial Spirit mage?!"

Angel sneered. "Feelings? That's not what makes a qualified Celestial Spirit mage. A true mage uses their spirits as tools. That's all they are."

Erza, who had been observing the situation, turned to Taurus. "I'm sorry," she said before swiftly changing her armor. "Requip: Flight Armor!"

In an instant, Erza's speed increased dramatically. She darted behind Taurus, her weapon shifting into a massive sledgehammer. With a powerful swing, she struck Taurus on the back of the head.

"Thud—!!"

Taurus let out a pained groan, stars swirling around his head as he stumbled.

"Breaking free from their control isn't easy, but it's necessary," Erza said firmly.

"Gemini, close the gate!" Angel commanded, and Gemini vanished, taking Taurus with them.

"Open, Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!" Lucy summoned another Celestial Spirit, this time a small, laser-cannon-wielding archer.

"Fire!" Lucy ordered.

A laser shot tore through the air, striking both Loke and Aries.

"Ahahaha! Direct hit!" Angel cackled with delight.

"Aries…" Loke murmured, his voice filled with pain.

"Leo…" Aries whispered as their forms began to fade. Celestial Spirits couldn't truly die—they would return to the Celestial Spirit World to recover—but the pain was still real.

"How can you treat your own spirits like this?!" Lucy shouted, her voice breaking with emotion.

Angel shrugged, her tone dismissive. "They're just tools. They don't die, so what's the harm? This is how a true Celestial Spirit mage operates. Besides, I got a strong spirit like Aries out of it. Totally worth it!"

"You monster!" Erza growled, her anger boiling over. She charged at Angel, her sword gleaming.

"Open, Gate of the Twins! Gemini!" Angel summoned Gemini once more.

A figure appeared in front of Erza, blocking her strike. Erza's eyes widened in shock as she realized the figure was an exact replica of herself.

"What?!" Erza exclaimed.

"I know you've been secretly recovering your magic," Angel said with a sly grin. "But I've been busy too. Gemini has copied everything about you—your strength, your abilities, even your thoughts. How will you fight a version of yourself at full strength while you're exhausted?"

Erza gritted her teeth, her sword clashing against her doppelgänger's. "This is why you're so dangerous. You exploit others without a second thought."

"Wooah—!" Gemini-Erza cried out as the real Erza pressed her advantage, landing a solid hit.

"Impossible! Gemini is a perfect copy! How are you stronger?!" Angel demanded, her confidence wavering.

Erza smirked, her voice steady despite the strain. "Gemini may copy my abilities, but it can't replicate my will. To win, I simply have to surpass my own limits—right here, right now."