Natsu and Gray stood tense before Chen Fan. A palpable fighting aura enveloped the street that had borne silent witness to the defeat of many guild wizards.
"Natsu, Gray, are you going to compete to become S-class wizards?" Chen Fan asked, his gaze calm.
"Of course! I've always wanted to be an S-class wizard!" Natsu replied, his eyes burning with determination.
"But now isn't the time for that, is it?" Chen Fan said nonchalantly, knowing full well that his two friends were still a long way from reaching that standard. Becoming an S-class wizard wasn't just a title, but a representation of the guild itself. Their failure would cause the guild's honor to fall with them.
"But if I miss this opportunity, I don't know when I can fight him again!" Natsu said seriously. "It's a rare chance."
"What?! You want to die?!" Chen Fan cut him off, shocking Natsu and causing the magic power he had just gathered to fizzle out.
"No... why would you think that?" Natsu asked, confused.
"Then why do you say there won't be another chance? I'm always ready to challenge you anytime."
Natsu shook his head. "That's different."
"What's the difference?"
"Usually, I want to fight you out of my own desire, but this time, I carry the hopes of everyone and the regrets of my friends on my shoulders. I'm the one who's going to do it..."
"Damn it all!" Chen Fan immediately accelerated, kicking Natsu. "You all make me sound like a heinous villain. Am I really that bad?!"
Natsu quickly parried, but Chen Fan wasn't in a hurry to defeat him. He wanted to see how much Natsu and Gray had grown. Besides, only Erza was left.
"Come on! Try to defeat me! Let me see how far you've progressed."
"Ice Make, Floor!" Gray pressed his hand to the ground. A frigid air enveloped the area, and a thick layer of ice solidified on the ground, making the footing treacherous.
"Gray, you're in on this too?"
"This is a great opportunity! We know we can't defeat you alone, and even together, we barely have a chance, but we won't give up!" Gray shouted.
"Okay! Come on, you two! Try to stop me!"
Natsu and Gray exchanged a look, their eyes burning with determination, then nodded and charged at Chen Fan together.
"Ice Make, Prison! Natsu!" Gray shouted.
"Got it! Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu roared, unleashing a torrent of flames from his mouth.
Chen Fan had no intention of taking the attack head-on. His mind was already weary from the constant calculations. There was a much easier solution.
"Ice Make, Ice Wall!" Walls of ice suddenly rose around Chen Fan, restricting his movement, but the space above was left open.
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" Natsu leaped above Chen Fan and shouted. A scorching, giant fireball appeared in his hands.
"Ice Make, Ice Explosion!" All the ice walls exploded.
The Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame and the Ice Explosion detonated at the same time. The extreme cold and extreme heat collided, creating a monstrous vortex of ice and fire.
After unleashing the combination attack, Gray and Natsu were panting. They had only recently learned this move, and it drained a lot of their magic power.
"He must be defeated," Gray said.
"I don't know. But he must have wasted a lot of energy. His biggest weakness is his physical body. We know that," Natsu said, exhausted.
"Crack...!" Chen Fan stepped out of the center of the explosion, completely unharmed. He stomped on the ground, and an intense vibration shattered the ice prison. Chen Fan walked out of the ice prison.
"Why did you use your strongest moves at the beginning?"
Natsu and Gray slumped to the ground. "Ha... ha... Our other moves don't work! So we tried all our strength. But it was still useless!"
"No, you've grown a lot. At least your brains are smarter now, and you know how to work together. I'm happy you finally managed to injure me."
Natsu and Gray were surprised. Their faces lit up. "Where are you hurt?"
"You two! How dare you use your ultimate moves on me?! You tried to kill me?! I'll kill both of you, you ungrateful bastards!" The scene that followed was so brutal that Makarov hastily shut off his magic crystal.
"Eh...! Bad reception, it will be better in a moment!" Makarov said, sweating.
He never expected Natsu and Gray to have progressed so quickly. If it had been anyone else, they would have been defeated. But the most terrifying one was still Chen Fan. He was completely unharmed.
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