Rhodes personally apologized to Pumpkin Man, then grabbed Juvia by the back of her collar and pulled her away.
Pumpkin Man thought about it for two seconds before deciding it wasn't worth the trouble.
"Next up, Sherria of Lamia Scale versus Han of Dragon's Treasure!"
"Sherria!" Wendy leaned over the railing and waved excitedly toward the arena below. Then, as if realizing something, she quickly withdrew her hand and asked a little awkwardly, "Is it okay to cheer for someone from another team?"
"As you like," Rhodes chuckled. "It's a festival, after all."
"Okay!" Wendy brightened immediately and began cheering her heart out for Sherria.
Sherria looked up and happily waved back at Wendy.
Meanwhile, in Team A's waiting area, Lucy looked a little worried.
"Is it really safe for such a small girl to face a fierce mercenary?"
Natsu tilted his head, finally remembering who the opponent was supposed to be.
"It's fine. Just be careful of that frying pan that reflects magic."
Lucy sighed.
"That's Panish. The person onstage is Han."
"Oh?" Natsu blinked blankly. "I can't remember their scents."
"Contestant Han, please take your position!"
"Contestant Han, please take your position!"
Pumpkin Man called twice before someone finally stepped out of Dragon's Treasure's waiting area.
It wasn't so much a person as… a walking red-and-gold hunk of metal. Every step hit the ground with a heavy metallic clang.
"W–o–c… is that Iron Man?" Rhodes almost blurted out the first thing that came to mind as he watched the metal figure step forward.
Had Dragon's Treasure developed some kind of futuristic black-tech weapon already?
No, looking closer, it really wasn't that advanced.
It was just extremely over-the-top full-body armor, far more coverage than anything even Erza wore. The suit had reinforced gauntlets, a full helmet, and a plated faceguard, leaving not a single part of Han exposed.
Pumpkin Man squinted uncertainly.
"Are you Contestant Han?"
Han lifted his faceplate. "Yeah. That's me."
Pumpkin Man mentally reviewed the rules regarding magic tools. Even though the armor looked outrageous, it technically didn't violate anything.
He nodded. "Then, let the match begin!"
On one side stood the former mercenary, now towering even taller thanks to the heavy armor.
On the other was a petite red-haired girl with pigtails, looking a little overwhelmed by the sheer presence of her opponent.
The contrast was enormous.
But after her moment of surprise, Sherria immediately slipped into combat mode.
She stepped forward, arms spreading slightly as dark wind gathered around her wrists.
"God's North Wind!"
She swung her right hand forward, sending out spiraling bands of black wind that wrapped around the armored Han like a vortex.
Clang, clang, clang…
The sharp sound of steel being struck rang out across the arena. A faint white glow shimmered across the surface of Han's armor, but the metal remained completely unscathed.
Han inside was, of course, perfectly fine.
He simply continued to march forward, step by heavy step, pushing straight through the attack.
"How about this, then?" Sherria advanced two more steps. "God's Dance!"
She twirled gracefully, as if performing a dance step, generating a black whirlwind that rose from the ground upward, trying to lift her opponent into the air.
Han felt a powerful upward force tugging at him. He quickly raised his left arm and activated a mechanism on his gauntlet.
"Anti-Wind Magic Array!"
A blue magic circle expanded outward from his arm, dispersing most of the black whirlwind's strength. The remaining force wasn't nearly enough to move him, much less lift him in that heavy armor.
Han swung his right fist toward Sherria's head.
Sherria reacted with a series of agile backflips, widening the distance again.
"Regular magic won't work… so then, God's Roar!"
She took a deep breath and exhaled with full force.
A blast of pitch-black wind erupted from her mouth, essentially a dark version of Wendy's Sky Dragon's Roar.
"But in terms of power, if we were using the MPF machine, I think Wendy would still win by a hair," Rhodes muttered from the stands.
Even so, Sherria's attack was impressive.
Han immediately braced himself, but the audience couldn't see the outcome right away, the black wind completely enveloped him, swelling into a giant spherical storm at the center of the arena.
Inside, the violent dark wind repeatedly slammed against the armor, the swirling air creating gusts so strong that they spilled outward like waves.
The wind was fierce enough to sweep across the spectator seats, and Chapati at the commentary booth lost yet another wig, revealing his shiny bald head beneath it.
As the fierce winds finally began to die down, the audience could at last see Han clearly.
He was still standing firm, braced in place with his arms held vertically in front of him. His gauntlets had shifted and expanded into a circular shield nearly a meter across.
He had been pushed back, two long drag marks on the ground showed where his feet had carved into the arena floor, but that was all.
Sherria stared in disbelief.
"That attack only made him retreat a little?"
Han's mouth twitched beneath the helmet. He lowered his arms and tried to step forward… only to take an awkward half-step back instead.
Fortunately, the faceplate hid his expression completely.
Sherria remained alert and hopped back cautiously, but noticed Han withdrawing his stance instead of following through with an attack.
She blinked, confused.
Han cleared his throat, then spoke in a stiff, monotone voice that echoed slightly through his helmet.
"It's useless. This armor is equipped with the latest defensive magic crystals and special alloy materials."
"No matter if it's wind, fire, water, lightning, or any other element, the most suitable defensive magic array activates instantly."
"Against me, your victory is already impossible. Even your so-called 'Lost Magic' won't do anything."
Sherria: "…"
Pumpkin Man: "…"
Commentator: "..."
Audience: "This feeling...why does it sound like they're not fighting but promoting something?"
The guild master of Dragon's Treasure burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! Well done, Han! I thought he'd forgotten the script, but the timing is perfect! And that little girl is the ideal opponent for the demonstration!"
"Hahaha! This armor is a high-end masterpiece crafted by our company. Its performance easily surpasses even the armor of the Kingdom's Knight Commander! I wouldn't be surprised if the military places an order after this!"
Of course, the drawbacks were obvious, too heavy, too inconvenient, and incredibly costly to produce.
But that was precisely what made it a perfect showcase of the company's technological prowess.
The publicity effect was overwhelming. And all the other contestants who had fought Dragon's Treasure were thinking the same thing:
'These guys are so annoying… I really want to punch them.'
Sherria felt her anger rising as well. Her opponent hadn't shown her even a shred of respect. She opened her mouth, inhaled sharply, and bit down as if chewing on something invisible.
A few seconds later, her magic surged dramatically.
She raised her hands. Black wind gathered and condensed around her wrists, layering like dark feathers.
The black "feathers" lengthened, rising up her arms and converging overhead as she thrust both hands forward.
"God Slayer Secret Art: Heavenly Cloud Cluster!"
...
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