Eisenwald couldn't even let out a scream. Like a baseball struck with full force, he became a dark blur, plummeting toward the hard concrete below!
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed through the station! A terrifying shockwave, carrying shattered stones and dust, erupted outward, sending several Iron Forest mages on the platform flying, slamming them hard against distant walls!
Thick gray smoke billowed into the air, instantly swallowing the entire waiting hall!
[Ding! Gained 10,000 Magic Points, Acquired Magic: Magic Wind Wall, Emerald Rush]
"Cough, cough!" Lucy choked on the dense smoke, frantically waving her hand in front of her face. "H-How did they start fighting so fast?! And they're so quick—I couldn't even see how they attacked, and Eisenwald was already smashed into the ground!"
Roger casually waved his right hand, and a cyan magic circle appeared, conjuring a powerful whirlwind that swiftly dispersed the lingering smoke.
As the dust cleared, Erza and Mirajane stood before a massive, web-like crater, glaring at each other.
Erza crossed her arms. "I hit him first. You were a step too slow this time."
Mirajane let out a soft huff, her face radiating a wicked aura from the magic she'd taken in. "Please, my magic clearly struck first! Look at him—more burn marks than sword wounds! I got him, and you just finished him off!"
Lucy, watching from the side, muttered, "←_← So they were competing to see who could take down the enemy first…"
Her gaze fell on the tail swaying behind Mirajane, and it clicked. "No wonder they call her the Demon. She's like a completely different person when she uses that magic—nothing like the Mirajane I know!"
Roger pointed toward the chaotic battlefield ahead. "Lucy, if you don't jump in now, you won't get to take down a single enemy."
"Huh?" Lucy froze, then turned to look. Natsu and Gray had already charged into the remaining Iron Forest members like tigers among sheep! Flames roared, ice spikes pierced, and with every attack, three or four enemies went down screaming!
"(0_0; So fast?! There's barely anyone left!!" Panicking, Lucy hurriedly pulled a golden key from her waist, raised it, and turned it with force.
"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"
Ding-dong!
A muscular, minotaur-like figure with black-and-white patterns and a massive axe strapped to his back appeared before Lucy. The moment Taurus materialized, his eyes turned heart-shaped, ogling her. "Miss Lucy~! Your figure is as stunning as ever today~!"
Happy, covering his face with a paw, groaned. "Lucy, why are all your Celestial Spirits so weird? First, there's that crab with scissors who ends every sentence with 'shrimp,' and now a pervy cow? Don't you have any normal ones?"
Roger, looking puzzled, chimed in. "Didn't you guys go on two missions together already? How have you never summoned Taurus?"
Lucy sighed. "I couldn't. Those missions happened to be on Tuesday and Sunday, but Taurus can only be summoned on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays."
"You can only summon Celestial Spirits on their designated days, or you risk breaking the rules of the Celestial Spirit World. If that happens, I might not be able to form contracts with other spirits anymore."
"Anyway, enough talk! Taurus, attack that black-haired enemy over there!" Lucy ordered urgently.
"Got it! For Miss Lucy!" Taurus roared, grabbing his giant axe and charging at an enemy.
But just as his axe was about to come down, a flaming fist wrapped in searing heat slammed into his bovine face from the side!
"!" Taurus didn't even have time to grunt. He spun through the air like a giant top, crashing into a nearby wall with a boom, sliding down, and vanishing in a shower of golden light.
Lucy's eyes went wide, her jaw nearly hitting the floor. "O-One punch sent Taurus back to the Celestial Spirit World?!"
Natsu, puzzled, withdrew his smoking fist and stared at the spot where Taurus disappeared. "Did Iron Forest have a cow on their team? How'd I miss that? Was it hiding?"
Lucy's forehead pulsed with veins as she shouted, "That was an ally!! That was Taurus, my Celestial Spirit from the Golden Bull Gate!!"
"Didn't you hear me summon him?!"
"Nope," Natsu said, scratching his head innocently. "But why's the Golden Bull Spirit a dairy cow? Shouldn't it be, like, a golden bull? Your spirits are so weird, Lucy."
Lucy slapped her face with a loud smack, grinding her teeth. "You don't need to roast me twice!!!"
Before she could say more, an enemy behind Natsu was suddenly frozen solid. Gray's smug voice rang out. "That's 21 for me! Just give up, Natsu!"
"What?! You're cheating!!" Natsu forgot all about Taurus and dove back into the fray, determined to rack up more takedowns.
With only a few enemies left, Lucy didn't have time to complain. Spotting one trying to sneak away, she sprinted forward, leaped high, and delivered a fierce flying kick with her red high heels, nailing the poor guy right in the back of the head!
"Lucy Kick!"
"Gah!" The enemy's eyes bulged as he let out a short grunt, face-planting into the ground with a thud, out cold.
[Ding! Gained 150 Magic Points, Acquired Water Magic.]
"YES!" Lucy landed, clenching her fists in excitement, nearly tearing up. "Finally, finally! This wasn't a total waste! All that suffering on the train paid off!"
She quickly turned to find her next target, only to realize the once-chaotic battlefield was now quiet. Every Iron Forest member was sprawled on the ground, groaning, unable to get up.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "W-Wait, it's over already?! That fast?! I only took down one!!"
Her shoulders slumped as she let out a long sigh. "So what was the point of me coming here…?"
At that moment, in the massive crater created by Erza and Mirajane's combined attack, Eisenwald stirred, groggily coming to.
Pain coursed through his body. Overhearing the two women above still arguing over who hit him first, his eyes flashed with venomous resentment.
Those two damn flies… they'll pay when Lullaby's sound takes their lives!
Gritting his teeth against the pain, he carefully reached for the pocket where he kept Lullaby—only to find it empty!
He froze, then frantically patted the pocket again. Nothing!
How?! Lullaby's gone?!
"You're awake? Took you long enough. I even held back." A cold voice sounded from above.
Eisenwald snapped his head up, only to find Erza and Mirajane, their earlier bickering replaced by icy stares fixed on him.