"Fire Dragon's Roar!"
On a wide, open tidal flat, Natsu and Yuka clashed fiercely. Natsu's dragon breath roared forward—only to be effortlessly neutralized once again by Yuka's Wave Magic.
Natsu wiped his mouth, a faint trail of fire flickering past as he narrowed his eyes, carefully studying Yuka's relaxed expression.
"Useless, useless. My Wave Magic can neutralize all magic. You've heard of the wizard guild Lamia Scale, haven't you? The one where Jura of the Rock Iron—"
Before Yuka could finish, Natsu thrust out a hand. A torrent of flames erupted, engulfing Yuka entirely.
"Damn it! Can't you let someone finish talking?!" Yuka snapped, raising a hand as a wave barrier enveloped him, dispersing the flames.
"I don't care who you are or what guild you're from!" Natsu shot back, eyes blazing. "If you hurt my client or get in the way of our job, then you're Fairy Tail's enemy. That's all the reason I need to beat you down!"
"You've got some nerve, looking down on me like that," Yuka growled, his expression darkening.
He raised his hand like a blade and slashed downward. A blue-white wave surged toward Natsu, carving a massive trench into the ground as it advanced.
Natsu didn't try to block it—he leapt high into the air, dodging cleanly.
"Hmph. Let's see how you dodge this."
Yuka thrust both hands forward, launching two blue-white energy spheres at Natsu midair.
Natsu didn't panic. Flames burst from his hands, propelling him backward like thrusters and easily evading the incoming blasts.
"What?! Using fire as propulsion?!" Yuka was stunned—his supposedly guaranteed hit had been avoided in such an unexpected way.
"Heh. My turn—Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Natsu landed steadily, grinning as he drove a flaming punch straight at Yuka's face.
"I've told you already—my waves neutralize your magic. It's pointless no matter how many times you try," Yuka sneered.
"Yeah? Then I just won't use magic."
Natsu's grin widened. Just before hitting the barrier, he dispersed the flames around his fist and drove his bare hand straight into the swirling wave.
"Idiot! Sure, that's clever—but sticking your arm into a magic vortex? Aren't you afraid of being torn apart?!" Yuka was genuinely shocked.
Natsu cried out as the vortex shredded at his arm—but he grit his teeth and forced his entire body into the barrier, ignoring the tearing force. His eyes locked onto Yuka, a wild grin twisting his face.
"Hah… even if you get through, you still can't use magic inside my waves!" Yuka said, though now clearly rattled.
"Then I'll just use magic from outside. Thanks for the tip!"
A magic circle flared at Natsu's elbow.
"Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!"
Flames erupted like a volcano, the explosive force blasting through the wave field. Natsu twisted his body, and the flaming elbow slammed square into Yuka's face.
"Gahhh!!"
Yuka's face warped from the impact as he was sent spinning through the air like a ragdoll, flying far into the distance.
"Well, there he goes," Natsu laughed, shading his eyes as he watched. "That's one down!"
While Natsu's battle concluded, deep within the forest, Gray and the dog-faced man Toby were locked in combat.
But here, Gray was at a disadvantage.
In dense woodland like this, Toby's close-combat style had the upper hand. Gray's magic attacks were obstructed by trees, reducing both their accuracy and power. No matter how strong he was, it meant little if he couldn't land a hit.
"Poison Claw—Millionfold Poison Jellyfish!"
Toby's nails glowed green as he lunged from behind a massive tree, slashing toward Gray's back.
"Awwooo! Fall to this strike!"
His eyes gleamed with anticipation—
Slash!
His claws tore across Gray's back, leaving a deep cross-shaped wound.
"Awwooo! Hit by my Millionfold Poison Jellyfish, you're as good as—"
Toby froze.
The "Gray" before him shattered into fragments of ice.
"An ice clone?! No way!!"
"Congrats—you fell for it."
"Ice-Make: Lance Battalion!"
The real Gray leapt out from behind a tree, hands forming seals. Ice constructs surged from below, smashing Toby into the air.
"Awwooo! That hurts!" Toby groaned, yet staggered back to his feet like a zombie.
"Tch. You're annoyingly tough," Gray muttered.
"Awwooo! I won't fall for that again!"
Toby darted back into the brush, his body flickering rapidly across treetops, constantly shifting positions to confuse Gray while searching for another opening.
"This terrain is a pain… My moves are too restricted," Gray thought, tracking Toby's movements. "Tricking him again won't be easy… but he does look pretty dumb. Maybe it'll work twice."
After a quick calculation, Gray decided to try the same tactic again.
Moments later, believing he'd found another opening, Toby lunged once more—his claws tearing into Gray's back.
And once again—
The body shattered into ice.
"You really are an idiot," Gray said with a mocking grin. "Falling for the same trick twice."
"Ice-Make: Ice Fountain!"
A magic circle flared beneath Toby. Countless icy spikes erupted upward, engulfing him completely.
Even as the ice sealed over him, Toby's face remained frozen in disbelief.
"Phew. That's another one down," Gray exhaled, placing his hands on his hips as he glanced toward the other battlefields.
Toby was merely frozen, not killed.
After all, Fairy Tail's principle was simple—avoid killing whenever possible. Only the truly irredeemable met that fate. Someone like Yalian, who'd "eliminate half and spare half," was a rare exception.
Within Fairy Tail, the only one comparable to him in that regard… was Laxus
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