Elsewhere…
"That guy… he's Kira Hopelight, the S-Class wizard from Fairy Tail, known as 'The Sage.'"
"The Sage? What kind of title is that?"
"Don't underestimate him! Word is, his strength surpasses even the 'Fairy Queen.' Back in the day, Magic Monthly called him 'the most talented wizard of the younger generation' and a top contender for the Ten Wizard Saints. Though, the magic world hasn't heard much about him in recent years."
Yuka's words drew wary glances from his companions.
"One of the Ten Wizard Saints? For real?" The grunts and lackeys tensed up immediately.
Their conversation wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.
Kira stood with his arms crossed, striking a commanding pose, his cloak billowing dramatically in some mysterious breeze. Inside, he was smug as hell. Who wouldn't feel a boost from that kind of reputation?
Especially the part about being stronger than the 'Fairy Queen'—that hit just right.
Cana and Loke exchanged a look: This guy's showing off again.
"Alright, like we discussed, pick your opponents," Kira said casually, stepping forward. His real goal was to get a closer look at the Moon Drip, maybe even collect some for future use.
Yuka, the leader of the three lackeys, stepped up. In his mind, he was the strongest of the trio, so it was his job to hold off Kira until Lyon could back them up. From the start, he knew defeating Kira was a pipe dream—the gap in their strength was obvious.
Unfortunately for Yuka, things didn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped.
"You're not getting past us!"
With a wave of Yuka's hand, a surge of energy blasted forward. Sherry swung her long whip, Toby raised his clawed hands, and the three charged at Kira together!
But then…
A golden wave of light and an energy-charged card shot out, scattering their attacks.
Cana, holding a stack of cards, and Loke, rubbing the ring on his finger, stepped in front of the trio.
"Hey, Loke, looks like they're underestimating us," Cana said with a smirk.
"Guess it's time to show these punks what Fairy Tail's made of," Loke replied, grinning.
"Alright, you take the short one. I'll handle the other two. Cool?"
"Obviously!"
BGM kicks in…
"Shining Light!"
"Solar Flare!"
No words or signals needed—the two moved in perfect sync, a bond forged from countless guild brawls.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Explosions erupted as their attacks rained down, but…
No damage. As the smoke cleared, the enemy trio stood unscathed.
The initial clash was just a test, and Cana and Loke quickly realized these guys might be tougher than expected.
A cold voice cut through the dust. "If you think two of you can take on three of us, you'd better have the skills to back it up! If this is all you've got, I'm disappointed. Sherry, Toby, show them what we're made of!"
"Wave!"
"Go, Angelica!"
"Paralysis Strike!"
These three weren't your average grunts—they were former members of Lamia Scale, far stronger than typical lackeys.
Yuka wielded Wave Magic, capable of neutralizing most magical attacks through vibrations. Back in Lamia Scale, he was known for being a wizard-killer.
Sherry's magic, Marionette Attack, let her control non-human creatures, like the massive rat named Angelica by her side.
Toby used paralyzing jellyfish claws and had a flexible body, easily dodging attacks.
Each of their magics had unique strengths. Individually, they weren't overwhelming, but together? They were a tough combo.
Loke, despite being the strongest of the Celestial Spirits in the Golden Zodiac, had been in the human world for three years, relying solely on his ring for magic and lacking his former physical prowess. Cana, meanwhile, depended entirely on her cards, with speed being her only standout physical trait.
As expected in Fairy Tail's turn-based battle world, after Loke and Cana's flashy opening, the enemy trio quickly turned the tables, pummeling them. Loke's light magic was disrupted by Yuka's waves, Cana's cards were effortlessly dodged by Toby, and Angelica's giant rat struck whenever they showed an opening. Unable to keep up, the two were forced into a defensive struggle, taking hit after hit.
Outclassed in magic, outmatched physically, and outnumbered, Loke and Cana's cool start crumbled as they were overwhelmed, eventually sent crashing to the ground.
Sherry sneered first. "I thought you two were supposed to hold us back. Turns out you're just big talkers. Kneel before Lord Zero and repent!"
Compared to Sherry's taunts, Yuka stayed quiet, playing the cool guy, while Toby, well, was too dim to say much of anything.
Sherry kept poking. "Weren't you gonna show us Fairy Tail's strength? Looks like Fairy Tail's nothing special."
"What?!"
"You said what?!"
Sherry's taunt was a perfect flag. If this were a game, you'd see Loke and Cana's rage meters instantly max out.
They struggled to their feet.
"Getting mocked by losers like this? How embarrassing," Cana muttered.
"If we go down here, Kira's gonna laugh his ass off," Loke added.
"You still got some fight in you, Loke?"
"Of course. Compared to the crazies in our guild, these three are nothing."
"Hey, you loud-mouthed witch, we're not letting that slide!"
"You think you're fighting just anybody?"
Here it comes—the cheat code.
"We're Fairy Tail!"
BGM blares again…
"Let's finish them in one go!"
To be honest, without cheats, Loke and Cana would have a hard time against these three. But Fairy Tail wizards without cheats? Unheard of.
After shouting the ultimate power-up phrase, they stood tall, pulling out their trump cards—literally.
Kira's custom magic ring and Kira's enchanted cards.
"Flash Storm!"
A barrage of light waves danced through the air, striking Yuka from all directions.
"What?! This attack speed?" Yuka yelped, his hands moving fast.
"Wave!" "Wave!!" "Wave!!!"
He sent out bursts of vibrational energy, but the light waves were too fast, too many, overwhelming him. Yuka was used to facing weaker opponents he could easily counter, leaving him unprepared for multi-directional assaults like this.
Before he could adjust, Loke was already within five steps of him!