Chapter 428: Massive Melee!
"Whoa! I feel terrifyingly strong right now!" Natsu exclaimed, clenching his fists in sheer excitement. The raw power coursing through his veins was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
"This is incredible! With this much power, staring down an army of this size doesn't feel scary at all!" Lucy marveled, staring at her glowing hands. She could feel her magical capacity multiplied several times over. Opening two Golden Gates simultaneously—a feat that usually exhausted her entirely—felt like it would be child's play now. It wasn't just her magic; her physical strength, speed, and perception had all undergone a qualitative leap. She felt like she could effortlessly defeat her past self with one hand tied behind her back.
The rest of the group shared her astonishment. The difference between their current state and their usual selves was night and day.
Sparks of erratic lightning danced wildly across Laxus's shoulders. A layer of frost spontaneously formed on the ground beneath Ultear and Gray's feet. Natsu's entire body was engulfed in a roaring inferno.
Similar phenomena occurred around the others, their respective magical elements bleeding into the physical world simply because their internal reserves had been over-saturated so rapidly.
However, thanks to the 'Precision Control Enhancement' Noah had woven into the spell matrix, they all quickly reigned in their wildly overflowing magic power, bringing it back under perfect control.
"Noah-nii's Enchantment Magic is on a completely different level than mine," Wendy whispered in awe, feeling the profound stability and overwhelming power of the buffs. As an Enchanter herself, she fully understood the complexity and sheer scale of what Noah had just casually executed.
On the opposing side, Erza (Edolas) had originally planned to stall for time, allowing more reinforcements to arrive and solidify their numerical advantage. However, seeing the Earth Land Mages' auras explode exponentially after Noah's spell, she knew delaying was no longer an option. If she let them acclimate to that power, they would be unstoppable.
"ATTACK!" Erza (Edolas) roared, pointing her spear forward.
She led the charge herself. "Mel Force!"
Her spear shifted form, and with a powerful thrust, she launched a massive vacuum wave directly at the Fairy Tail Mages.
"Everything softens! Rosa Espada!" Sugarboy struck the ground with his rapier. The stone floor stretching between his forces and the Earth Land Mages instantly turned into a rolling, liquid morass, undulating like ocean waves, designed to destroy their footing and disrupt their counterattacks.
Hughes waved his baton frantically, telekinetically ripping apart the surrounding architecture and hurling a massive barrage of jagged debris and twisted metal directly at the group.
Following their Captains' lead, the tens of thousands of Royal Army soldiers raised their staves in perfect unison and unleashed a synchronized volley. A truly apocalyptic swarm of magical projectiles darkened the sky, raining down upon the Fairy Tail Mages from every conceivable angle.
"Wah!"
Meredy, Yukino, Wendy, and Lucy gasped collectively at the sheer scale of the incoming bombardment. Even the veteran S-Class Mages hardened their expressions.
The softened ground beneath them pitched and rolled violently, but thanks to Noah's 'Perfect Equilibrium' enchantment, they maintained their footing effortlessly.
However, the inescapable, sky-blotting barrage of magic and debris was a much more pressing concern.
"I've got this," Noah stated calmly, stepping forward.
Hearing his voice, the tension in the group instantly evaporated.
Noah clapped his hands together. Three massive, intricately layered golden magic circles materialized instantly in front of the group, forming an impenetrable, multi-tiered shield that covered them completely.
"Triple Magic Circle: Mirror Water!"
The apocalyptic swarm of magic projectiles, Hughes's debris, and Erza's (Edolas) vacuum wave all slammed into the outermost magic circle. But instead of shattering the shield or detonating on impact, the attacks were seemingly absorbed, freezing in place against the golden barrier.
"Return to sender," Noah said, his eyes glowing with power.
The magical energy within the three circles surged violently. In the blink of an eye, the entire bombardment—every single projectile, rock, and vacuum wave—was violently expelled back out, tracing their exact trajectories back toward the Royal Army.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Uwaaaahhh!!!"
A chain reaction of devastating explosions tore through the Royal Army's ranks. While Captains like Erza (Edolas) possessed the skill and reflexes to dodge their own reflected attacks, the rank-and-file soldiers did not.
Thousands of soldiers were caught in the relentless bombardment. Though their armor absorbed the lethal force, the concussive blasts threw them into the air like ragdolls. The perfectly aligned Royal Army formation disintegrated instantly into a chaotic sea of groaning, incapacitated bodies.
"Wait, isn't that Mystogan's magic?" Laxus asked, recognizing the spell from their sparse interactions with the elusive S-Class Mage.
"Yep! Since he couldn't be here for the grand finale, I figured I'd use his signature move so he could be here in spirit," Noah replied with a cheerful grin.
Laxus just stared at him, utterly speechless.
Ignoring Laxus's exasperated look, Noah turned his attention back to the battered Royal Army. "That was Mystogan's spell. Now, it's my turn!"
Two incredibly complex, miniature golden magic circles materialized directly in front of Noah's eyes. Dense magic power rapidly gathered within them.
"A true hero kills with his eyes! Optic Blast!"
Noah focused his gaze on the far left flank of the enemy formation. Two searing, highly concentrated beams of golden light erupted from the magic circles before his eyes. Maintaining a steady pace, he slowly turned his head from left to right, the twin beams sweeping across the battlefield, tracking his gaze perfectly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The twin beams carved a fiery, explosive line straight through the dense center of the Royal Army. A continuous chain of massive detonations erupted along the beam's path.
"Gyaaaahhh!!!"
Countless soldiers were blasted into the sky by the resulting shockwaves. The massive, cohesive Royal Army formation was literally cut in half, its center completely hollowed out. In two simple moves, Noah had drastically neutralized the enemy's numerical advantage.
"Everyone, ATTACK!" Noah commanded loudly.
"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" Natsu roared. A colossal pillar of flame erupted from his body, piercing the sky. The intense, radiating heat instantly scorched and cracked the stone floor beneath his feet.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu stomped hard, shattering the ground, and lunged forward. He lashed out with his arms, twin whips of condensed fire extending from his hands, swatting away any Royal Army soldiers still standing in his path.
"Don't get cocky!" Hughes snarled, waving his baton wildly. He telekinetically gathered the scattered, dropped weapons of the fallen soldiers and hurled them in a deadly, metallic swarm directly at the charging Natsu.
Natsu didn't even flinch. He swung his flaming whips in a wide arc, effortlessly incinerating or swatting aside the incoming barrage of blades and spears.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Igniting his right fist with explosive force, Natsu charged straight at Hughes.
Hughes frantically waved his baton, desperately trying to pull more debris to intercept, but Natsu blasted through every obstacle with pure, brute force. The debris slowed Natsu down slightly, but his advance was relentless.
"Ice-Make: Lances!"
Ultear and Gray moved in perfect synchronization. They thrust their hands forward, conjuring massive magic circles that unleashed a relentless hailstorm of ice spears toward the enemy lines.
"Rosa Espada!" Sugarboy dashed forward, tapping his rapier against the incoming ice spears. The solid ice instantly softened into harmless slush, splashing uselessly onto the ground.
"Ice-Make: Great Ape!"
Seeing her attack neutralized, Ultear didn't hesitate. She slammed her hands forward. A towering, incredibly detailed ape constructed entirely of solid ice materialized directly in front of Sugarboy and swung a massive, crushing fist at him.
"Ice-Make: Lances!"
While Ultear engaged Sugarboy, Gray focused his attention on the surrounding Royal Army soldiers, unleashing another barrage of ice spears to keep them pinned down and prevent them from interfering.
"Mmm~ Ice is useless against me," Sugarboy said confidently. He casually tapped the Great Ape's incoming fist with his rapier. The point of contact instantly turned to slush, the entire arm losing its structural integrity and melting into a puddle.
"Is that so?" Ultear smirked knowingly. She clapped her hands together.
Suddenly, a colossal, jagged iceberg materialized in the air directly above Sugarboy, plummeting downward to crush him.
"Huh?!" Sugarboy gasped, his eyes widening in shock. He frantically scrambled backward, desperately tapping his rapier upward to soften the bottom of the falling iceberg.
Despite his quick reflexes, the sheer scale of the iceberg was too much. The softened bottom splashed over him, completely drenching him in freezing slush, before the solid upper half crashed down, burying him beneath tons of ice.
When Sugarboy finally managed to claw his way out of the icy wreckage, he was shivering violently, his flamboyant clothes soaked through with freezing water.
"Your magic may soften ice, but it doesn't change its fundamental nature—it's still freezing cold water. If the scale of my attack is large enough, simply softening it won't save you from the impact or the temperature," Ultear explained with a predator's smile.
She gestured elegantly, and the massive puddle of slush surrounding Sugarboy instantly flash-froze back into solid ice, forming a cage of jagged, razor-sharp ice spears that shot inward, aiming to skewer him.
Shivering uncontrollably, his movements sluggish from the biting cold, Sugarboy scrambled desperately to dodge the incoming icy barrage.
Seeing Ultear completely dominating her opponent, Gray shifted his full focus to decimating the remaining Royal Army grunts.
"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"
"Open! Gate of the Lion! Loke!"
Empowered by Noah's massive magical boost, Lucy effortlessly executed a dual-summon.
"You can dual-summon now, Lucy?!" Loke appeared in a flash of golden light, looking at her in genuine surprise.
"Not quite. Noah placed an incredibly powerful enchantment on me that temporarily boosted my magic power," Lucy admitted, shaking her head.
"Ah, I see. Still, I'm certain you'll master the technique on your own very soon!" Loke smiled encouragingly, adjusting his glasses.
"We can talk later! Right now, we need to take them down!" Lucy pointed toward the rallying Royal Army soldiers.
"My, what a grand stage! O Light of the King, grant me strength!" Loke declared theatrically. He clenched his fists, and a brilliant, blinding golden aura erupted from his body.
The light quickly condensed around his fists. With a powerful leap, he charged into the enemy ranks, his Regulus-empowered punches sending soldiers flying like bowling pins.
Beside him, Taurus let out a booming roar and swung his massive labrys, cleaving through the enemy lines with devastating physical force.
"Dark Spark!"
Mirajane, fully transformed into her Satan Soul, hovered above the battlefield, relentlessly hurling spheres of highly concentrated dark magic into the densest clusters of Royal Army troops. Explosions rocked the plaza, sending scores of soldiers flying.
With a powerful beat of her demonic wings, Mirajane dove directly into the fray. Abandoning long-range attacks, she engaged in brutal, close-quarters combat. Her fists, wreathed in dark energy, pulverized armor and shattered weapons with terrifying ease.
"AHAHAHA!" Mirajane laughed uproariously as she tore through the enemy ranks, her expression one of pure, unadulterated thrill.
Noah, observing from the back, blinked in surprise. Is her old personality slipping out? Or is she just really enjoying the chance to cut loose after holding back for so long?
Deciding it didn't matter as long as she was winning, Noah let her be. Her power was more than enough to handle the grunts; he just needed to keep an eye out for any unexpected threats.
"Sunlight Angel!"
Sorano summoned a towering, majestic angel construct. The angel opened its mouth, and a blinding, searing beam of pure light, a meter thick, blasted directly into the Royal Army formation.
With a sweeping motion of its head, the angel dragged the beam across the enemy lines, causing a devastating chain reaction of explosions that obliterated a large swath of troops.
"Are you copying my move?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow at Sorano.
"It's highly effective! Is there a rule that says I can't copy you?!" Sorano shot back, glaring at him defensively.
"No, no! Not at all! Copy away!" Noah quickly waved his hands in surrender.
Satisfied, Sorano turned her attention back to the battlefield, directing her Sunlight Angel to continue its bombardment while keeping a vigilant eye on her sister's position to ensure her safety.
"Lightning Bullets!"
Laxus extended his right hand, unleashing a swarm of crackling, tennis-ball-sized spheres of highly condensed lightning. The spheres drifted rapidly toward the Royal Army front lines. The moment they made contact with an obstacle—be it a shield, a spell, or a soldier—they detonated with concussive force.
A continuous chain of electrical explosions ripped through the enemy ranks, completely clearing the path directly in front of Laxus.
With a feral grin, Laxus coated his entire body in roaring lightning and charged headlong into the fray. He became a living thunderbolt, slamming through the enemy lines, sending soldiers flying from the sheer kinetic impact before his electrified fists started systematically dismantling the rest.
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"
"Divine Judgment!"
"Libra! I'm counting on you!" "Understood."
Wendy, Meredy, and Yukino executed their coordinated assault flawlessly.
Yukino summoned Libra, the Celestial Spirit of the Scales. Libra instantly manipulated the gravity within a designated zone, pinning down a large cluster of Royal Army soldiers under crushing weight, reducing their movements to an agonizing crawl.
With the targets immobilized, Wendy and Meredy unleashed a devastating barrage of long-range magical attacks.
Normally, Wendy or Meredy would cast support enchantments on the team before initiating an assault. But with Noah's overwhelmingly powerful buffs already active, they skipped the setup and went straight for maximum offense.
Happy and Carla hovered closely behind the three girls. Lacking offensive capabilities, their sole purpose was to act as an emergency extraction team, ready to grab the girls and fly them to safety if the situation grew too dangerous.
"Belserion!"
"Knightwalker!"
The two Erzas locked eyes, completely ignoring the chaotic battlefield raging around them. They lunged at each other simultaneously.
"Gravity Spear!"
"Heaven's Wheel: Trinity Sword!"
Their weapons clashed with earth-shattering force, generating a massive explosion that cleared a wide radius around them as soldiers and Mages alike scrambled to avoid the crossfire.
"Ice-Fire Spear!"
Erza (Edolas) swiftly shifted forms, dual-wielding the elemental spears. She unleashed a sweeping crescent of flame and frost aimed at Erza's midsection.
"Requip! Morning Star Armor!"
Erza instantly swapped armors, materializing two elegant longswords glowing with intense, radiant light. She crossed the blades, merging their luminescence into a single, blinding focal point.
"Morning Star: Photon Slicer!"
A massive, devastating beam of pure light erupted from the crossed blades, tearing through the elemental attack and rocketing toward Erza (Edolas) with terrifying force, kicking up a massive dust cloud in its wake.
"Sealing Spear!"
Erza (Edolas) quickly recombined her twin spears into a single weapon and swung it with all her might, managing to cleave the incoming photon beam in two, though the effort clearly strained her.
"Silfarion!"
Without missing a beat, she shifted to her speed form and vanished, reappearing directly in front of Erza, thrusting her spear with blinding velocity.
Erza, having already witnessed the spear's magic-severing capabilities, wasn't caught off guard.
"Requip! Flight Armor!"
She swapped armors again, utilizing the speed enhancement to parry the supersonic thrust with her twin short swords.
The two engaged in a blistering, high-speed melee, their weapons blurring as they exchanged dozens of blows in seconds.
However, empowered by Noah's massive stat boosts, Earth Land Erza held a distinct advantage. She relentlessly pressured her counterpart, forcing Erza (Edolas) entirely on the defensive, struggling just to parry the overwhelming onslaught.
Noah remained stationed at the back of the formation, his eyes tracking every individual skirmish, ready to intervene instantly if any of his comrades found themselves in true danger.
"Heh. You actually have the guts to charge at me? I commend your bravery," Noah chuckled softly.
Several Royal Army soldiers, perhaps noticing he was standing alone and seemingly undefended, broke ranks and charged directly at him, their staves raised. It seemed his earlier display of apocalyptic power hadn't completely broken their morale. They were either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish.
~~~
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