Cobra was enraged beyond reason."You dare insult me like this—I'll destroy you!"
Furious, he unleashed his full power. Poison magic swirled around his legs as he shot toward Ken.
"Poison Dragon's Spiral Jaw!"
Ken's heart leapt — this was his chance.
Hot crimson energy surged inside him, fueling his right fist.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
With a roar, Ken leapt forward.
Their attacks collided in a massive blast of flames and poisonous gas.
Even Gray had to retreat a few steps, shielding his face.
Cobra poured every last drop of magic into his poisonous assault, but the flames swallowed it effortlessly.Ken's fire magic burned brighter, overwhelming Cobra's poison.
Cobra's legs caught fire, the flames crawling up his body until he and Cuberos crashed down from the air.
"Urgh…"Cobra struggled, barely able to lift a hand to soothe his loyal companion.
Through his fading vision, he saw Ken approaching.
"Please... take care... of Cuberos..."With that, Cobra lost consciousness.
The battle was over.
Ken's earlier playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a solemn, grim expression.
"You poisoned Erza. You had to pay for it," Ken said coldly."But Cuberos… Cuberos doesn't deserve punishment."
He knew the truth.Cuberos wasn't just a snake. It was a cursed girl — who would later be rescued, have the curse lifted by Makarov, and join Fairy Tail under the name Kinana.
Ken turned to Gray.
"Freeze that snake. We'll bring it back to the guild. The Master will understand."
Gray hesitated."You sure you don't have some... weird reason?"
Ken nearly exploded in frustration."JUST DO IT!"
Before he could smack Gray, Ken staggered, clutching his head as a wave of pain hit him.
"Ken!?"
Gray caught him before he fell.
After half a minute, the headache eased.Ken forced a smile and waved Gray off.
"Probably just magic exhaustion. I'll be fine after a short rest."
In reality, Ken didn't know what caused the sudden dizziness.A deeper mystery was unfolding.
Meanwhile, elsewhere:
Natsu, Lucy, and Hibiki encountered Angel, the Six Demon Generals' Celestial Wizard. Using Hibiki's magic, Lucy unlocked the ancient Star Map magic and crushed Angel in a fierce battle.
Erza and Wendy, recovering at the entrance of the Gas Tree Sea, were attacked by the illusionist Midnight. Erza overcame him despite her injuries, and with help from the Raijin Tribe, foiled his final assault.
Victory was starting to shift toward the Allied Guild Forces.
But Nirvana's true danger had only just begun...