"Well, I'd love to personally give Jose a beating, but since you're offering, I suppose I have no choice."
Unexpectedly, Makarov agreed almost without hesitation, as if he had anticipated this outcome all along.
"The enemies we face this time are formidable, but as long as you stay true to yourselves, power will surge forth endlessly."
With his back to Chase, he watched Natsu and the others steadily push back Phantom Lord's forces. "Go all out. Have yourselves a grand battle. I'll be watching over you from behind!"
With that, Makarov's expression instantly shifted. His serious demeanor vanished, replaced by a cheeky grin.
He hopped back toward the guild, cheerfully muttering in a decidedly unserious tone:
"Time for tea and photobooks! The latest issue's cover girl is supposed to have an amazing figure, eheheh~"
Erza sighed heavily and pressed her palm to her forehead in exasperation.
"Ara ara." Mira wore her signature smile.
But Macao, who was nearby, caught the comment. His eyes sparkled as he watched the old master retreat. "Th-the latest issue's photobook!"
The moment his focus wavered, a Phantom Lord mage seized the opportunity, raising a large blade to strike.
"Oh no!"
At the critical moment, smoke magic struck from the side, sending the would-be ambusher flying.
"Old friend, we're in the middle of a battle!" Wakaba called out, hands in his pockets and pipe in his mouth.
"Sorry, sorry. Thanks." Macao scratched his head sheepishly.
"Let's finish off Phantom Lord quickly, then we can ask the master for that photobook."
"Now you're talking!"
With a brief exchange of glances, the two old perverts unleashed unprecedented magical power, overwhelming the Phantom Lord mages before them.
No wonder they say magic comes from the heart... Lucy thought. If she weren't still feeling low, she'd be complaining up a storm.
Hum hum hum...
Suddenly, the Six-Legged Walker on the lake erupted in commotion.
Its mechanical legs folded and shifted, churning up massive waves across the lake's surface.
The castle structures on the small island began to transform like intricate machinery, rotating and reassembling.
In the blink of an eye, a towering figure with glowing red eyes stood before the astonished Fairy Tail members.
Furious, Jose had activated the Six-Legged Walker's final form—the Magic Colossus!
The Magic Colossus slowly raised its mechanical arm, tracing a massive dark gold magic circle in the air.
"Ahhh! Is Master really going to use that?!"
"W-wait! We're still here!"
"This is bad! Run! The town's going to be annihilated!"
Recognizing the massive magic circle, Phantom Lord's vanguard forces—already being relentlessly crushed—completely lost their will to fight. They fled in terror, abandoning weapons and armor.
When he first declared war, Jose hadn't planned to use the Magic Colossus.
With Makarov present, charging up a large-scale spell like Purgatory Break would be impossible.
But then Jose, comfortably waiting for his Ten Wizard Saint showdown, watched through magical projection as Makarov cheerfully hopped back into the guild.
That utter disregard—not even considering him a worthy opponent—ignited his fury: If you won't fight, then you and this entire town will burn to ash!
"That magic circle... it's the legendary forbidden spell—Purgatory Break!"
Mira's pupils contracted sharply as she recognized the circle the Magic Colossus was forming.
This was infinitely more dangerous than Jupiter!
"Mira, do we have a way to stop it?" Erza asked.
Since the master had entrusted this battle to them, they couldn't betray that trust by letting that terrible spell be unleashed.
"Large-scale spells like this require a power source. If we destroy the power source before it finishes charging, we can stop it."
"So we just need to get inside the enemy base and wreck things, right?"
"Mm. Looks like we have about ten minutes."
"More than enough."
Having assessed the situation, Erza smiled confidently.
If there was one thing their guild excelled at, it was causing destruction. And there were two particular troublemakers she had in mind.
With that, she quickly changed into her Giant Armor, grabbed Natsu and Gray—who were still fighting Phantom Soldiers—and took off.
"No time to explain. You're going in."
Before Natsu or Gray could process what was happening, Erza hurled them with tremendous force toward the Magic Colossus on the lake.
"AAAAHHHH~!" x2
"Mira, what are Natsu and the others doing?"
Elfman tore through a Phantom Soldier and moved back to Mira's side.
"Now that you mention it, this is a rare opportunity. I suppose I'll join Erza and the others for a little competition!"
Perhaps spurred on by her comrades' rising morale, or perhaps worried about Erza and the others, Mira stepped forward. A dark purple magical aura erupted around her.
The next second, the cold, fierce Demon Mirajane appeared.
The second after that, a bewildered Elfman went flying just like Natsu and Gray.
"I don't recall saying I wanted to compete with Erza and them, but... MANLY!!"
Arms raised in a heroic pose, Elfman traced an elegant arc through the air, following Mira into the heart of the Magic Colossus.
Throughout the operation, neither Erza nor Mira mentioned Chase. They didn't even glance his way.
Because, deep down, they understood: Chase's opponent was never the Magic Colossus or the Element 4. It was the greatest threat of all—Master Jose.
It was an unspoken understanding among S-Class mages. And an unconditional trust.
"And then there were two..."
Watching both teams "land safely," Chase turned to Lucy with a smile. "How are you holding up? Ready to fight?"
"Yeah! I'm a Fairy Tail mage, after all!"
Lucy pulled out her Celestial Spirit keys and nodded firmly—then her expression drastically changed. "N-no way, Chase! People would die!"
She could guess what he was thinking from that mischievous grin.
She wasn't like Natsu, Gray, or Elfman, with their durable bodies. If she went flying like that, she'd be out cold before the fight even started!
"Huh? You're part of the strongest team, aren't you? You should fight alongside them."
Chase twisted his features into a mock-terrifying expression.
Lucy recoiled, clutching her chest as she backed away, her face a picture of refusal.
"What I actually meant was... you could find Happy."
Lucy: "..."
Oh, right! I almost forgot about that stupid cat!
With that reminder, Lucy quickly found Happy, who was carving through enemies with his "Salted Fish Dual Blade" technique.
After a brief explanation, the pair took off toward the Magic Colossus to join Natsu and the others.
"Well then..."
Chase took a deep breath as several cards slid out from between his fingers.
[Magic Card: Book of Secret Arts] — Slightly increases magic power limit.
[Magic Card: Unicorn Horn] — Enhances card power and user's defense.
[Magic Card: Pot of Greed] — Accelerates magic power recovery.
[Magic Card: Mage Power] — Increases allies' magic attack power and casting speed.
[Trap Card: Energy Potion · Super Z] — Full magic power recovery.
His opponent was a Ten Wizard Saint. Surely a mere S-Class mage like him adding a few small buffs beforehand...
...wasn't too excessive, right?
***
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