After finishing their cheerful reunion, Chase suddenly clenched his fists, the gleam of battle lighting up his eyes.
"By the way, Erza," he said, cracking his knuckles. "It's been a while how about we have a rematch?"
His voice was casual, but his spirit was blazing.
The last time they fought, he'd managed to extract the Trap Card [Mirror Force] from Erza's magic.
Now, after a year apart, she had undoubtedly grown much stronger. If things went well this time…
Maybe he could draw out an even more powerful "Forbidden Card"!
Standing nearby, Lucy could feel a sweat drop sliding down her temple.
Seriously? You're jumping straight into a duel now? Did you even glance at what's going on around you first?
She folded her arms and grumbled internally.
But then again… if she really thought about it, a battle between Chase and Erza…
Wouldn't that be kind of amazing to watch?
Despite knowing it was a little wrong to enjoy this kind of thing, Lucy couldn't deny her growing curiosity.
She had seen firsthand what Erza was capable of during the Iron Forest incident how easily she had overpowered both Natsu and Gray with terrifying efficiency.
There was no doubt Erza was a force to be reckoned with.
Still… under the current circumstances, there's no way Erza would actually agree to
"A challenge after a year?" Erza said, tilting her head. "Sounds interesting. I accept."
She smiled, eyes narrowing with excitement.
She began slowly rotating her wrists, the joints in her armored gauntlets crackling as metal scraped against metal.
Clack—clack—clack.
Lucy's jaw nearly hit the floor.
She actually said yes?! Just like that?!
"Hahahaha! A fight?! Count me in!" Natsu shouted, charging forward like a fired-up puppy who'd just heard the dinner bell.
He skidded to a stop beside them with sparks in his eyes.
"This is a golden opportunity! Let me drag you two off your S-Class thrones!"
Gray followed close behind, already shirtless as usual, his palm radiating an icy chill.
The moment he heard the word "fight," his blood was boiling too.
Lucy, meanwhile, stood frozen in place, her hair blown messily by the wind, eyes wide in disbelief.
Just a second ago, everything was normal…
How did I become the "weird" one all of a sudden?!
Click.
Just as the four S-Class maniacs were about to explode into a full-blown sparring match, a small but clear sound cut through the rising energy of the scene.
It was the distinct clatter of something falling to the ground a flute.
Makarov, who had been watching from a distance with narrowed eyes, immediately turned toward the source of the noise.
In the bushes, Kageyama knelt half-collapsed on the ground, his body trembling, his face twisted in conflict and pain.
The flute Lullaby had slipped from his hand and now lay in the grass beside him.
Inside his mind, Natsu's earlier shout still echoed loudly:
"Don't you dare hurt my friends!!"
Those words struck deep, again and again.
And in the end… Kageyama just couldn't do it.
He couldn't bring himself to play the cursed melody that would erase everything.
Makarov looked at the young man, his expression softening.
He walked forward slowly, eyes calm.
"You know… nothing will change overnight," Makarov said gently. "The weak will always be weak."
"But being weak… isn't a sin."
"People are born fragile."
"That's why guilds exist. That's why we seek out comrades to support one another and keep moving forward."
He paused for a moment, letting the words settle.
"A clumsy person may stumble more, crash into more walls, and take more detours… But as long as you believe in yourself, take even one step forward, and stay firm in your path…"
"…then strength will follow."
Makarov looked at the flute resting silently in the grass, then turned his gaze back to Kageyama.
"And you don't need to rely on that cursed thing to become strong."
Kageyama trembled. His composure shattered.
He collapsed, pressing his face into the earth, and began to weep.
"I'm sorry… We lost…"
"Ooooooohhhhh!!"
As his heartfelt confession fell into the silence, a chorus of cheers erupted suddenly from the bushes nearby.
"HUH?! Natsu?! Gray?! Lucy?! What are you guys doing here?!"
Makarov spun around in shock, eyes wide.
Before he could process what was happening
BAM!
His head was instantly slammed into a hard steel chestplate at near-supersonic speed.
Stars danced in his vision.
Erza had sprinted forward, overcome with emotion, and grabbed Makarov in a tight, crushing hug.
"What an inspiring speech, Master," she said softly, eyes misty with respect and gratitude.
"B-Broken… M-My neck's going to snap…"
Makarov raised one trembling hand into the air, eyes spinning comically.
Seeing the comically tragic sight of Makarov nearly flattened by Erza's hug, the guild masters who had followed behind couldn't help but laugh, shaking their heads.
The entire area was soon filled with a light, cheerful atmosphereone of relief and camaraderie.
But then
"Everyone, I don't think it's over just yet."
The gentle but serious voice of the Dark Magician Girl sliced through the buzz of laughter.
Everyone paused, turning toward her.
She pointed calmly at the flute lying abandoned in the grass.
At the very top of the Cursed Flute, embedded in the hollow skull's forehead, three scarlet lights suddenly flickered to life burning like cursed embers in the growing darkness.
A suffocating wave of pressure washed over the area.
From within the flute came a hoarse, guttural voice slow, mocking, and filled with ancient hatred.
"That's enough. You're all so slow… If you didn't want to brag, you could've just said so!"
Buzz!!
Suddenly, a violent surge of purple magic exploded from the cracked flute.
The energy twisted into a massive magic circle in midair, crackling with arcs of leaping violet lightning.
BOOM!!
A massive foot slammed down from the sky, crashing into the mountain floor with such force that the entire hillside trembled.
From within the light of the magic circle, a hulking brown-black figure began to emerge its grotesque body rising higher and higher until it blotted out the sun.
Three burning eyes glared down from its monstrous face, and foul, sulfurous breath hissed from between its jagged teeth.
Lalabai had awakened.
"Aaaaahh! W-What is that?!" Lucy cried out, face pale with fear.
"The monster came out of the flute?!"
"No," said Goodman, president of the Four Hounds, as he stepped forward, arms folded, his expression grim.
"That thing isn't just some cursed instrument that devours souls when it's played."
He stared up at the demon.
"It's something far older. Something alive. Living magic."
"That… that's the devil himself sealed within the Book of the Dark Mage Zeref."
"Lalabai."
"W-What?! Hundreds of years old?! The devil himself?!"
Lucy's face drained of all color.
Shivering, she slowly backed away, hiding behind the rest of the group.
Then, the monster spoke again its voice like bone scraping against stone.
"Pathetic little humans…"
"In the end, I'll devour your souls myself."
The demonic entity Lalabai threw back its monstrous head and let out a shrill, guttural roar.
The sheer force of the scream triggered a powerful windstorm, ripping through the surrounding forest. Trees bent wildly, their trunks groaning, leaves scattering in all directions like a hurricane had hit.
Far off in the distance, the Fiore Army, which had received news of the incident and mobilized quickly, stood ready at a defensive perimeter.
With their formation tightened and weapons raised, the soldiers puffed up their chests, shouting confidently.
"Let's go! Time to show these arrogant mages the strength of the royal army!"
But their loud declarations barely had time to echo before Lalabai, clearly annoyed by the noise, turned his massive, horned head in their direction.
Like an animal snapping at buzzing flies, the demon inhaled deeply, then opened his mouth.
A searing torrent of terrifying magic energy surged in his throat an infernal spell charged with heat and destruction.
BOOM!!
In the blink of an eye, a distant mountain fully visible from the battlefield was obliterated in a pillar of flame and force. Reduced to dust.
Smoke billowed. The earth trembled.
A stunned guard immediately turned to his commanding officer.
"Report! The mountaintop… it's been completely blown away!"
The officer's jaw hung open for a brief second before pure survival instinct kicked in.
"Pack it up! Retreat!!"
With lightning speed, he blew a sharp whistle. Soldiers dropped their bravado and scattered like ants helmets clanging, boots stomping in full retreat.
In the span of moments, the mighty Fiore army who had confidently marched in was completely gone.
Lucy stood there blinking, utterly dumbfounded.
Wait, seriously?! That's it?!
What happened to all that bold talk?!
Did you all just show up for a laugh?!
She clutched her head in frustration, mentally screaming as her irritation boiled over.
Back on the battlefield, Lalabai let out a twisted chuckle, pleased with the result of his "warning shot."
"Now that the trash has run away," he sneered, licking his jagged teeth, "let me savor the souls of you filthy wizards instead!"
He turned his hungry, glowing gaze toward Makarov and the other guild masters, his voice dripping with malice.
"Hey, Natsu," Lucy muttered as the tension escalated, "do you… even understand what's going on?"
But Natsu raised a hand with childlike curiosity.
"So, uh… does a soul taste good?"
Lucy dropped her shoulders and sighed deeply.
"I knew you were going to ask something that stupid…"
"I don't know what a soul tastes like," Chase said as he stepped forward, his voice calm against the howling wind, "but…"
He stretched out his arms with a casual grin, cracking his neck as the air around him began to stir.
"...I'm pretty sure it's not as satisfying as beating the crap out of this overgrown gasbag."
He gave a sideways look toward Erza and the others, a challenging spark in his eyes.
"So, how about this let's change the rules of the fight that didn't happen earlier…"
"Let's see who gets to land the final blow on this guy."
At that moment, the temperature seemed to rise not from Lalabai, but from the sudden burst of competitive energy between the Fairy Tail S-Class wizards.
"The final blow?" Erza repeated with a smirk.
"Then we can't hold back!"
She extended her hand, and a brilliant magic circle unfolded beneath her feet.
"Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"
With a flash of light, her body gleamed in shining white armor, dozens of swords spinning in the air around her.
"That's my kind of challenge," said Gray, cracking his knuckles. "But you're dreaming if you think you'll win."
He snapped his fingers, conjuring a shimmering circle of cold blue magic.
"The victor's gonna be me Ice-Make: Full Combat Mode!"
"Hahahahaha!!"
Natsu flared to life, fire exploding around him in waves.
"I'm on fire now!"
"Let's go! Fire Dragon's Roar!!"
Magic circles of every color began flashing one after another blues, reds, golds, and purples overlapping across the battlefield.
The guild masters standing behind them could only stare in stunned awe.
To see the famed magic of Fairy Tail up close…
Erza's fearsome Requip Knight Armor.
Gray's elegant Ice-Make techniques.
Natsu's explosive Dragon Slayer magic.
And
The mysterious and elegant Card Magic of Chase.
Chase raised his hand, a spread of glowing cards fanned between his fingers.
"Dark Magician Girl let's go!"
"Got it, Master!"
With a snap of her fingers, the Dark Magician Girl appeared in a swirl of pink sparkles, pulling her wand from thin air.
At the tip of her staff, a brilliant pink orb began to spin and swell with energy.
"Super Magic Wave Cannon!"
"The Sword of Chaos!" Chase followed.
"Ice Lancer!" shouted Gray.
"ROOOOAR!!" bellowed Natsu as flames burst from his mouth.
Four devastating spells fire, ice, light, and darkness hurled toward Lalabai, who stood wide-eyed like a stunned animal in the path of an oncoming train.
BOOM!!!
A blinding explosion lit up the entire forest, the blast so massive that the earth itself shook beneath their feet. Flames reached high into the trees, casting long shadows as the firestorm consumed the demon's form.
The night sky turned red under the flare of magical brilliance.
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