While Chase was activating his card effects, a Phantom Lord mage quietly slipped past the other Fairy Tail members and crept up behind him.
"An opening! Hah! I'm taking down S-Class Chase!"
Once within striking range, the Phantom Lord mage sprung his ambush. Both hands wreathed in magic circles, he lunged at Chase with a maniacal laugh.
The Phantom Lord's vanguard forces had either scattered in terror at the sight of Purgatory Break or been utterly routed by Fairy Tail.
But every mage guild—except Fairy Tail—had a few reckless fools who thought with their fists.
Taking down an S-Class from the opposing guild was the ultimate glory for such people.
Admirable courage. But the outcome wasn't quite so admirable.
Hum!
A pillar of pure dark gold magic descended from above, striking the would-be ambusher.
CRACK.
Under the immense pressure, the ground beneath him fractured. The Phantom Lord mage spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back as he fell unconscious on the spot.
Inside the Magic Colossus, Command Room.
Through his magical projection crystal, Jose watched the scene unfold with crystal clarity.
Even the cunning, high-ranking Phantom Lord master couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. An opening? How did I not see one...
"Master, judging by his preparations, it seems he's coming for you."
"To have a mere soldier attempt to challenge the king... such a presumptuous lack of decorum. No~ No~ No~"
Sol, the Earth Element 4 member, pointed at Chase—now sporting a unicorn horn, with a magic tome and strange jar floating beside him—as his pliable, worm-like body writhed.
"The pitiful sight of a fully armed fairy having its wings broken by the master... just imagining it brings tears to my eyes."
Aria, the Wind Element 4 member, clasped his hands together as tears flowed endlessly from his bandaged eyes.
Where he found so many tears was anyone's guess. If he kept crying like this, the Water Element would have to change hands.
As for Juvia? She'd be better off as the "Flower Element."
Specifically, the lovestruck flower.
"In the face of absolute power, all preparation is nothing but the futile struggle of the weak."
Jose's cold eyes were fixed on Chase's image in the projection. His voice was icy. "To think that Makarov would underestimate me to this extent."
"It seems I'll have to make his beloved brats taste hell!"
He had hated Chase for repeatedly disrupting Phantom Lord's plans. He would be delighted if Chase came to him—so he could savor the torment!
With that thought, Jose shifted his gaze slightly toward the long-haired man squatting in the corner, gnawing on iron. "Gajeel. How are you feeling?"
"I'm back to peak condition!"
Gajeel crushed the steel in his hand with his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as rage blazed in his eyes.
"Those damned Fairy Tail bastards! How dare they do that to me! I'll make them pay dearly!!"
All he could think about was avenging the humiliation of being stripped and strung up on the clock tower.
He had no idea that, in the near future, this would become one of Fairy Tail's favorite anecdotes—dogging him for the rest of his life.
"Don't fail me this time. Or I'll be very disappointed, understood~"
Jose's tone sounded almost joking, but to Gajeel, it sent a chill down his spine.
He knew all too well his master's methods and cruelty.
"Got it. I'll go intercept the intruders right now."
Gajeel brushed off his clothes and stood. "Fire Dragon Natsu, Ice-Make Gray, Beastman Elfman—I'll make them all beg for mercy!"
Last night's near-disastrous encounter had humbled the usually arrogant Iron Dragon—just enough to avoid mentioning Erza and Mirajane, who had also infiltrated.
For all he knew, every S-Class in Fairy Tail was an unreasonable monster like Chase!
Once Gajeel left the command room, Jose turned to Sol and Aria. "You two move out. Bring those foolish fairies to me."
"And keep them alive. I want to torment them right in front of Makarov."
"Understood."
"Got it."
Sol twisted his body and sank into the floor. Aria transformed into a gale and vanished.
As for Totomaru and Juvia, they had already moved ahead of the others and found their targets.
Magic Colossus, Shoulder Section.
"Damn, that hurts... Erza's still as rough as ever..."
Gray pulled his head out of a pile of rubble and sat up, rubbing his bruised forehead.
Through Warren's Telepathy Magic, which allowed mental communication, he had learned the objective of this infiltration mission.
Find the Magic Colossus's power source and destroy it—stopping the forbidden spell Purgatory Break before it could activate.
"Hey, wasn't it cloudy when we flew over? Why's it suddenly raining?"
Having caught his breath, Gray frowned and held out his hand, catching scattered raindrops.
Within moments, the rain intensified, pouring down and shrouding the area in a heavy curtain of water.
A figure emerged from the depths of the rain—a woman in dark blue attire, a cylindrical hat, carrying a pink umbrella.
"Correct. Juvia is the Rain Woman of Phantom Lord's Element 4."
"Element 4. So you're one of Phantom Lord's S-Classes."
Gray's expression hardened, but a hint of excitement tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Looks like my luck's pretty good."
Luck...good?
Does he mean... meeting Juvia is a blessing from fate?
Could it be... could this be what they call a declaration of love?!
Gazing at the handsome man in the rain, Juvia unconsciously tightened her grip on her umbrella. For some reason, her heart suddenly began to pound—thump, thump, thump.
"Come on. If you're going to hurt my guild, hurt my comrades, I won't hold back—even against a woman!"
Oblivious to the lovestruck thoughts forming in the woman's mind, Gray readied himself for battle.
Time was short. His primary goal was to stop Purgatory Break. He had no desire for idle chatter.
Even an S-Class wouldn't stand in his way!
Juvia's gaze sharpened in response. But she made no move to strike first.
For two and a half seconds, they stood motionless, separated by the curtain of rain.
"Very well. Juvia concedes. Farewell~"
Juvia turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
Her heart was racing too fast. If she kept looking at that handsome, gentle face, she felt she would drown in it completely.
No—she was already drowning!
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
Gray, who had braced himself for a serious battle, was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't help but shout after her.
***
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