Before Makarov could react, Erza had already changed into her Adamantine Armor—the strongest defensive armor—and charged to the front of the group, erecting a sturdy defensive magic circle.
In the blink of an eye, the Magic Condensation Cannon tore across the lake's surface and slammed into the magic circle with overwhelming force.
BOOM!!
The moment they collided, a terrifying shockwave swept out like a raging storm, annihilating the surrounding land and vaporizing the lake water!
"S-so heavy..."
Her scarlet hair whipped violently, Erza gritted her teeth and gripped the massive white shield tightly.
Though she had barely managed to withstand Jupiter's instant burst of energy, the continuous stream of magical power pushed her backward. Cracks began to form on her Adamantine Armor.
Just as her body and armor were reaching their limits, a powerful hand pressed firmly against Erza's shoulder.
Her backward momentum ceased.
"Can't let you have all the glory, Erza." Chase smiled.
"Chase, you—"
Before she could finish, Erza's body lurched forward—the immense pressure from Jupiter had vanished completely!
Noticing the slowly spinning magic circle beneath her feet, Erza looked up sharply. Two uniquely shaped cylinder-like objects floated on either side of her.
One of them was absorbing the Magic Condensation Cannon like a bottomless pit, while a dark purple vortex identical to Jupiter's was forming at the opening of the other.
"Wasting it by just blocking seems a bit... wasteful. Good things should be returned to sender."
Chase swept his hand forward. "Trap Card: Magic Cylinder, activate!"
After a slight tremor, a condensed blast fired from the other Magic Cylinder, targeting the cannon barrel at the heart of Phantom Lord's castle!
BOOM!!
A massive explosion echoed across the lake. The cannon barrel, made of special materials, shattered along with the energy crystal core inside, sending black smoke billowing into the air.
Phantom Lord's pride—the Magic Condensation Cannon Jupiter—was completely destroyed!
"Ooh! That's Chase for you—turning Jupiter's power back on them!"
"Serves them right for shooting first. Jose's face must be green with rage right now, hahaha!"
"Erza was incredible too, holding off that initial blast!"
The crisis before the full-scale war had been averted, and the guild members erupted in excited cheers.
A faint smile tugged at Makarov's lips as he sighed in relief.
I almost forgot... the children of my guild are truly exceptional.
By the shattered lakeshore, Chase's chest rose and fell with slightly rapid breaths.
Though Erza had absorbed part of the force, Jupiter was still a cannon capable of leveling a mountain range in an instant.
Reflecting it back had inevitably consumed a significant amount of his magic power.
As for why he chose the precision-target Magic Cylinder over Mirror Force—which also had a reflection effect but could countergroup attacks—there were two reasons.
First, Jupiter's power was immense. A single mistake could destroy not just the guild but the entire town. It was a priority target.
Second, Phantom Lord's elite soldiers and even the Element 4 were essentially experience packages for his guildmates.
Bonds between people were forged through battle. Chase didn't want to deprive others of opportunities to grow—even if wiping out most of Phantom Lord's forces in an instant would have been undeniably cool.
Unlike the difficult situation in the original story, this time they had Makarov at full strength, and Mira had already undone her demon seal. Their side was practically invincible.
So... might as well let Natsu, Gray, and the others go wild!
"Chase, are you okay?"
Now back in her regular armor, Erza looked at him with concern. "That was incredibly reckless. That was Jupiter!"
"Haha, we're not so different, you and I." Chase scratched his head with a grin.
Erza sighed heavily, at a loss for words.
Clank, clank, clank.
The sound of mechanical gears broke through the lively atmosphere.
At the very top of the Six-Legged Walker, thick steel walls slowly opened, revealing Jose and the Element 4 standing on a raised platform.
"Finally showing yourself, Jose."
Makarov stepped forward, standing beside Chase and Erza as he faced Jose across the distance.
"It's been several years since our last meeting, hasn't it, Master Makarov?"
Jose's expression was grim after Jupiter's destruction, his venomous gaze fixed on Chase. "You've certainly taken in quite an exceptional mage."
The one disrupting his perfect plan was Chase.
The one who had stopped Gajeel and humiliated Phantom Lord by hanging him from the clock tower was Chase.
And now the one who had destroyed Jupiter was—once again—Chase!
In Jose's plan, Jupiter was meant to weaken Makarov. At the very least, it should have taken out one of Fairy Tail's top fighters.
Instead, he hadn't even sang a single hair—and had lost his guild's energy core in the process!
"Enough talk. Are you sure you want war with us?"
Makarov's expression was stern. "If you kneel and apologize now, I'll pretend this never happened."
"Hahaha! Apologize? Your Fairy Tail was the one who crippled our ally Sabertooth!"
Jose forcibly suppressed his murderous intent toward Chase, spreading his arms arrogantly as he sneered.
"But... if you agree to one condition, I might consider turning back."
His tone shifted abruptly, his cold gaze piercing through the thin mist to land on Lucy among the crowd. "Hand over Lucy Heartfilia!"
This was Phantom Lord's primary objective. If his plan to drain Makarov's magic had succeeded, Jose wouldn't have minded wiping out Fairy Tail entirely.
But with circumstances changed, obtaining Lucy Heartfilia took priority.
"Lucy?" Makarov blinked in confusion.
The other guild members were equally bewildered.
There was no way they would hand over Lucy. But they couldn't figure out why Jose would target a newcomer who had just joined the guild.
As for Lucy herself, the moment she heard "Heartfilia," her heart clenched.
She vaguely understood what was coming. She lowered her head, nervously clenching her fists at her sides.
"Oh? Don't tell me you didn't know Lucy Heartfilia is the heiress to the Heartfilia Konzern?"
Jose observed the expressions on Makarov and the Fairy Tail members' faces. Along with his surprise, an endless flame of jealousy burned in his heart.
Chase, Lucy—why is it that Fairy Tail always attracts such powerful talents and resources?!
Jose's words sent shockwaves through the Fairy Tail members. Even Mira covered her mouth in disbelief.
The Heartfilia Konzern held immense influence within the Fiore Kingdom. Their presence could be seen in vital infrastructure like railways, transportation hubs, and urban development.
None of them had ever imagined Lucy was the heiress of such a massive conglomerate!
Their shock was understandable. After all, the Lucy they knew at the guild didn't fit the image of a "young lady" in the slightest!
***
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