Warlock for Hire

That's the Way the Demon Crumbles

*Boom* The ice covering Yoko exploded ...

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The Cold Emperor gave a cruel laugh and removed his mask revealing spiky white hair, "Yoko wasn't so powerful-" some laughing cut off his boasting.

Everyone looked up towards the sound of laughing and saw a red and yellow bird in the sky, "You are a fool if you think a tiny blast like that could hurt my master!" laughed the bird.

Natsu grinned, "Liling!"

Liling dove into the smoke as it started to clear revealing Yoko without a scratch on him with Liling on his shoulder, "Well that was rude, but you did get that kink in my neck so thanks. Now do you guys realize how much trouble you're in? You could get kicked out of the guild for this. Erza will be pissed when she finds out." Natsu, Happy and Gray started panicking.

Lucy paled, "Are we in that much trouble?"

The emperor scowled at being so blatantly ignored and turned to his three followers, Yuka, Sherry, and Tobi, "Go destroy the village!"

"Don't Lyon!" yelled Gray, but the three left to kill the villagers.

"Natsu, Lucy, Happy go help the villagers. Gray bring me up to speed starting with who this guy is." asked Yoko as the others went to help the village.

Gray nodded and looked at the Cold Emperor, "He's Lyon, Ul's first apprentice and he's trying to revive Deliora."

Yoko frowned, "Deliora ... I see."

Lyon grinned, "Yes and I'll surpass Ul by killing it-"

The dark haired ice user shouted, "Lyon please listen to me! You don't know how 'Ice Shell' works-"

The blonde Fairy Tail member laid a hand on Gray's shoulder, "Look carefully Gray, he does know how the spell works."

Fullbuster stared at his former friend and realized Yoko was right, "Why?"

A cruel smirk stretched across Lyon's face, "To prove I'm the strongest-"

"Then what? Move to the next wizard and beat them? Just because someone's called strong that isn't the end all. It means nothing because there will always be someone stronger. Ul was a powerful wizard, but that was ten years ago and Gray told me she wasn't really training to get stronger since she lost her daughter so she hasn't been trying to stay on top for years ... she's an amazing wizard, but no longer the 'strongest' wizard, so what's your plan?" The blonde asked the ice user.

Lyon blinked, "Ummm well ..." He never actually gave it much thought. One person told him Ul was the strongest wizard and he stopped considering other wizards as a challenge.

Yoko shook his head, "Come on, Gray. Show me where Deliora is and maybe I can seal it away."

"Yeah sure." sighed the younger ice user and took Yoko there, but the second the blonde turned his back Lyon sent some eagles made of ice at him. Liling flapped her wings sending blades of wind slicing through the air shattering each eagle. Yoko vanished in a blue flash and slugged Lyon in the got knocking him out ...

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Naruko smiled as she tucked a sleepy Kaede into bed before going back into the living room in Yoko's home where Freed, Loki and Kurama were waiting.

Kurama wagged his tail ,"Awww she's always so happy when you visit. Do you have to go so soon?"

The female twin pouted, "I wish I could stay, Dad, but I have to fix a little problem."

The cat sized demon's ears perked up, "A problem? Anything I can help with?"

The blonde smiled, it isn't difficult to see why Naruko and Yoko are so much closer to Kurama than their own blood. "No, it's my fault. I should've packed all of Yoko's paintings away and got rid of them as fast as possible, but I didn't and somehow Minato and Kushina found out ... I'm pretty sure they read his diary too."