Among the onlookers, seeing Gray frozen, everyone was surprised.
Happy sat up from Mira's arms, his eyes wide, and said, "Gray was actually frozen?"
Elfman was a bit surprised and said, "Cana's strength has also grown so much; she can actually control such a Magic Beast in battle."
Laki clapped her hands excitedly and said, "Yay, Cana won, I knew it!"
Mira shook her head beside him, not so optimistic. She calmly said, "Not yet. Gray has practiced Ice Magic since he was young, so his resistance and adaptability to ice are extremely strong. This level of freezing would be a killing move for an ordinary Mage, but it's unlikely to trap Gray."
Erza also walked over at this time and sat next to Ezreal, in the chair that Gray had vacated when he entered the battle.
"It will be difficult for Gray to win," Erza said, looking at Gray's ice sculpture in the arena, analyzing objectively, "The Frost Spirit's mastery of Ice Magic is far above Gray's, and its magic power is also more abundant. Moreover, only the Frost Spirit is fighting; Cana is still observing from the side. This is not Cana's full strength."
After Erza finished speaking, she raised her hand and pointed to Cana, who was standing far from the battlefield, observing with her arms crossed.
Ezreal looked in the direction Erza was pointing. Cana's expression at this moment was full of confidence and composure, completely different from her usual drunken appearance with a barrel of wine, like two different people.
Erza withdrew her hand, her gaze falling on Ezreal, and said, "After Cana returned, I haven't seen her drink heavily again. She hasn't missed a single internal class these past few days."
Mira nodded, affirming, "That's true. Since she came back, we've rarely seen Cana get drunk like before. She's changed a lot."
Elfman rubbed his head and said, "She doesn't even join in when we challenge her to a drinking contest. Before, she used to actively join the fun without even being called."
Erza continued, "Macao's fine magic control, Wakaba's analysis of area magic usage, my close-combat improvement, the Guild Master's magic encyclopedia explanations, Laxus's speed and reaction enhancement—Cana has attended every single one of our classes."
"Her fighting style has also begun to change, becoming very similar to yours. She controls a subdued Magic Beast in battle while casting spells from a safe distance herself."
"After returning from this quest, Cana's strength has improved incredibly."
Erza looked at the golden-haired young man in front of her, who exuded a gentle aura. His sunshine seemed to be unconsciously warming those around him.
Both Marcus and Cana only slowly changed after encountering Ezreal.
Ezreal looked at Cana in the distance, smiled, and said, "Compared to her strength, I think not drinking heavily is the biggest improvement."
Erza shook her head, looking at Ezreal seriously, and said, "Cana stopped drinking heavily because she once again found a direction and motivation to move forward, no longer needing alcohol to numb herself and escape."
"No one has the right to thank others on behalf of someone else, but seeing my friend find herself again, I, on my own behalf, sincerely thank you."
Erza stood up, placed her right hand over her heart, tapping her shining silver armor, which made a crisp sound, then slowly bowed, her expression serious and sincere.
Ezreal restrained his smile, lightly patted Erza's shoulder, signaling her to sit down, but said nothing.
He was not good at responding to the emotions of those around him; in such moments, he always remained silent.
As they talked, cracks quietly began to appear in the ice that encased Gray on the battlefield.
In this frozen world, time seemed to stand still.
However, Gray's internal ice-attribute magic power was fully activated, keeping his consciousness clear.
Such a cold temperature, both familiar and strange.
Gray couldn't help but recall the image of his deceased master in his mind.
It was a slender, athletic, short-haired woman, gently stroking young Gray's head, explaining, "Gray, Ice Make Magic is the freest magic. The only limit to its power is your own imagination. When you first start practicing, static Ice Make is the easiest to pick up. After some time, you can try dynamic Ice Make; only then can you truly unleash the power of Ice Make Magic."
The image of his master, Ur, flashed through the depths of his mind, and Gray muttered to himself, "Dynamic Ice Make…"
"Boom!" With a deafening roar, Gray burst out of the ice, the ice shards on his body scattering like bullets, cutting cold trajectories through the air.
Blue light ignited in his eyes, like two fiercely burning blue bonfires. His thoughts instantly returned to the time he spent with his master, those profound teachings about Ice Magic vividly resurfacing in his mind.
"Ice Make: Ice Ape!" Gray took a deep breath, the icy blue cold air filling his lungs. The chill seeping into his body made his consciousness even clearer.
His hands moved rapidly, as fast as lightning, and icy blue magic power converged rapidly in front of him like a surging vortex.
A colossal and mighty Ice Ape instantly formed. Its body was as tall as a mountain, its muscle lines as hard as iron, and every muscle seemed to contain endless power.
Its fur, made of ice crystals, shimmered with a piercing cold light, like brilliant stars in the night sky.
The Ice Ape pounded its broad, wall-like chest, letting out a deafening roar, a sound like rolling thunder, shaking the entire battlefield.
It stomped its feet on the ground, each step leaving deep imprints on the hard ice, charging towards the Frost Spirit like a cannonball. Wherever it passed, the ice surface shattered, sending countless ice shards flying.
The Frost Spirit's eyes narrowed, a flicker of vigilance in its cold, star-like gaze.
Its hands moved swiftly, gracefully, as countless sharp, needle-like ice spikes instantly shot out from the surrounding ice and snow, covering the sky as they flew towards the Ice Ape.
The ice spikes shimmered with a cold light in the sunlight, like messengers of death.
The Ice Ape was agile; it skillfully dodged left and right, its sturdy body weaving through the dense ice spikes with ease, like an experienced dancer.
Each dodge was perfectly timed, avoiding fatal attacks. It leaped up suddenly, its massive palm, with a whooshing sound that seemed to tear through the void, slammed fiercely towards the Frost Spirit.
The Frost Spirit agilely flashed backward, drifting like a phantom, while simultaneously spewing out a stream of intensely cold air from its mouth.
The air current was like an invisible giant wave; wherever it passed, the air froze, making terrifying "crack, crack" sounds.
Gray did not hesitate, casting another spell.
"Ice Make: Ice Tiger!"
He shouted loudly, his voice filled with determination. Icy blue magic power surged wildly, like a raging tide.
A majestic Ice Tiger was shaped by the cold air. Its fangs were sharp, like keen daggers, gleaming with a chilling light that struck fear into the heart.
Its eyes were bright and piercing, like burning blue flames, and the stripes on its body resembled flowing ice patterns, exuding a terrifying aura.
The Ice Tiger leaped, its posture agile and graceful, opening its gaping maw to reveal sharp teeth, and pounced towards the Frost Spirit.