Gray watched the battlefield with a solemn expression. "Has Marcus's strength really increased so much? Even Natsu is being suppressed..."
Elfman looked at the two people in the battlefield, also somewhat dazed, and said in disbelief, "When did Marcus become so manly? This kind of strength is almost catching up to Uncle Macao and them."
Mira reached out and snatched a small biscuit from Ezreal's hand, glared at Ezreal indignantly, then her gaze fell back to the battlefield, and she analyzed very objectively, "This shouldn't be Marcus's full strength yet. His total magic power is immense, much larger than most people in the guild. It's almost like he has magic crystals embedded in his body."
"After using so many spells, he still looks unfazed. Moreover, the gold sand Marcus is using now has greater hardness and weight than his previous ordinary sand, and the magic power is completely different."
"Natsu's flames haven't reached the temperature of Macao's, so they can't melt the sand upon instant contact. As Marcus creates more and more gold sand, the situation will become increasingly unfavorable for Natsu. His defeat is only a matter of time."
Although she couldn't use magic now, Mira's eyesight was still sharp. Among everyone present, Mira's judgment of the situation was the most convincing.
Elfman glanced at Mira, then at the battlefield, and said in disbelief, "Even Big Sister thinks so?"
Cana looked at the two people in the battlefield, a determined expression on her face, and said, "If we quantify their strength, Natsu is probably A-level. Marcus's strength was originally only slightly lower than Natsu's. After returning from the Asgard Mountains, his strength has reached A-rank. No matter how you look at it, the current Natsu is not his opponent."
Ikaruga added, "Marcus also has an ability to create clouds of sand for flight. Flight magic is always rare, and air-to-ground strikes are almost impossible for anyone to counter. With Marcus's magic power level, flying in the sky and continuously casting spells on the ground, Natsu has no chance of winning."
Ezreal looked around and noticed that everyone seemed surprised by Marcus's strength, so he couldn't help but ask, "Why do I feel like you just found out Marcus got stronger? It's been over a week since we returned from Asgard. Didn't you ask him?"
Cana glanced at Ezreal and said, "When we came back, it was night. Marcus just showed his face, and the next day he took his tent and sleeping bag to the mountains to train. If the Master hadn't noticed he hadn't been seen for days and asked Warren to use thought projection magic to call him back, he'd probably still be in the mountains for a long time."
Ezreal was shocked, almost dropping his small biscuit. "Oh? Marcus is actually that diligent now?"
Ikaruga covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "It has to do with you. When you were evolving into a Shadow Worgen, Marcus chatted with us and said he hoped to become stronger, not to be a burden to his friends, but to be a help to them in critical moments."
As she spoke, she looked at Cana and asked, "Cana, what was that charming line Marcus said back then?"
Cana took two small biscuits from Mira, gave one to Ikaruga, and looked up at Ezreal, saying, "The day belongs to the sun, but at night, there also need to be stars to shield the sun from the darkness, right?"
Ezreal paused, falling silent, unsure how to respond at that moment.
He was a sensitive person, but not good at expressing himself.
While they were talking, Natsu and Marcus's battle continued.
Sand spikes continuously pelted Natsu's flames like a downpour, emitting an incessant 'crackling' sound.
Natsu gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat pouring down, only to instantly vaporize in the scorching heat.
His eyes were bloodshot, and he could clearly feel his magic power draining rapidly like a breached dam.
After a few seconds of stalemate, Natsu let out a deafening roar, and the flames on his body erupted violently, like a surging volcanic eruption.
The scorching flames instantly sent the surrounding sand spikes flying, creating a temporary vacuum.
Natsu seized this fleeting opening, his figure flashing like a ghost, rushing towards Marcus with incredible speed.
Marcus's lips curved into an arc. His body instantly transformed into countless gold sand particles, dissipating into the air like smoke and mist, swapping places with a pile of gold sand in the distance.
Natsu's fierce attack missed again, leaving only a substitute made of gold sand in his place.
Natsu's fist, wreathed in surging flames, instantly engulfed the substitute, turning it into a pile of scattered sand that drifted away in the wind.
Marcus re-formed his body, shouldered his spiked club, and made a hand seal with one hand. The surrounding gold sand seemed to respond to his call, rapidly rising into the air.
Above his head, the gold sand gradually coalesced into a gigantic sand sphere. The sphere spun at high speed, emitting a sharp, piercing whistle, and crushed towards Natsu.
Natsu's eyes widened, burning with crimson flames, and he cupped his hands in front of his mouth like a megaphone.
"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
In an instant, a massive amount of flames erupted from his mouth. The flames, like a torrent, converged into a giant pillar of fire, soaring into the sky, carrying an indomitable momentum, meeting the terrifying sand sphere.
"Boom!" The two collided violently, as if two stars had crashed, unleashing destructive energy.
A colossal explosion deafened the ears, and shockwaves spread wildly in all directions. Sand and dust flew everywhere, obscuring the sky, and the entire battlefield instantly plunged into chaos.
Marcus didn't hesitate. He made another hand seal with one hand, and the gold sand on the ground surged like a raging tide, instantly forming three clones identical to him.
Each clone wore golden Sand Armor, the sand particles on the armor shimmering with an eerie light, as if containing endless power.
They wielded spiked clubs, the spikes on the clubs incredibly sharp, emitting chilling magic power fluctuations.
The four Marcuses attacked simultaneously, swinging their spiked clubs with powerful force, creating gusts of fierce wind.
The strong winds kicked up dust and sent gravel flying, completely surrounding Natsu, leaving him nowhere to escape.
Natsu darted left and right, his figure flashing like lightning through the encirclement.
The flames on his body transformed into countless agile fire snakes, lunging at the Marcuses with bared fangs and claws. Wherever the flames went, the air was scorched and distorted. But the Marcuses were exceptionally nimble, constantly evading Natsu's attacks like ghosts, while launching even fiercer counterattacks.
"Bang!" Natsu, caught off guard, was heavily struck on the back by one of the clones' spiked clubs.
The powerful impact made him stumble forward several steps, a trace of bright red blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, standing out starkly against his pale face.