"No matter how you struggle, the outcome won't change. The only one who gets hurt will be you."
As Natsu's fists erupted with scorching flames, Totomaru slowly raised his hand, his sinister gaze shifting to Lucy nearby. "No—this time, I'll make your flames attack your own comrade instead."
"Just imagining it is quite—"
Totomaru's eyes went wide with shock.
The flames around Natsu's fists, which had been so easily controlled by his magic moments before, had suddenly become wild and uncontrollable, like a rampaging beast.
Even as he poured more magic power into his control, the flames merely flickered briefly!
"If it's for hurting Lucy, there's no way I'd let you have your way!"
Natsu forcibly steadied the raging flames in his hands. "This is the power Igneel taught me! You can't take it!!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The flames, completely free of Totomaru's control, swelled rapidly. As Natsu pressed his palms together, they gathered above his head into a massive, blazing fireball.
"This is—counter-control?! You mastered this technique in such a short time?!" Totomaru couldn't help but exclaim.
He had fought countless fire mages on behalf of Phantom Lord, and without exception, he had crushed them all.
Never had he encountered a "monster" like Natsu, who could grow so rapidly in the midst of battle!
"Merge the flames of my left hand with the flames of my right hand—"
Natsu wasn't about to give him time to process. He leaped high and hurled the fireball with all his might. "Take this! Fire Dragon's Blazing Flame!"
The intense heat melted the stone in its path.
Even Totomaru, a fire magic specialist, didn't dare take it head-on. He hastily dodged.
The fireball, having lost its target, flew straight, smashing through several walls and rooms before—
—slamming directly into Gajeel, who was in the midst of a fierce battle with Beast King Elfman!
BOOM!!
The fireball's remaining power detonated, unleashing a towering inferno.
"Natsu?! And Lucy and Happy?!" Elfman looked over in surprise.
"Yo, Elfman! What are you doing here?" Natsu greeted with a grin.
"Mira sent me. Said I can't lose to you 'strongest team' types."
"Hahaha, is that so? Well, you can head back now. We've got this handled!"
"Like hell! You're the ones who should go back! That's what a manly man does!!"
They hadn't even exchanged a few words before they were already shouting at each other across the space.
Lucy: "..."
Totomaru: "..."
"You goddamn fire-breathing bastard! Know you can't beat me, so you hide and ambush me, is that it?!"
A violent explosion of blue magic shattered the rubble as Gajeel shoved aside the slabs pinning him down, his glare fixed on Natsu with murderous intent.
First he'd been one-shot by Chase and strung up on a clock tower to be humiliated. Now, finally getting a chance to restore his pride, he gets blasted by some random fireball.
Ever since getting involved with Fairy Tail, his luck seemed to have taken a nosedive.
And so, Gajeel's fury reached its peak.
"Hah?! What did you say? Can't beat you?!"
As a fellow Dragon Slayer, Natsu couldn't let that slide. His fists blazed. "You wanna try me, you scrap-metal bastard with a middle finger tattooed on your ass?!"
That struck a nerve. Gajeel immediately shifted into his Iron Dragon Scales form. "I'll kill you!!"
"Hey Natsu, that bastard is my opponent!" Elfman shouted, thoroughly annoyed.
It didn't matter. Natsu and Gajeel had already clashed, unleashing an explosive battle of two dragons.
"So... what exactly is happening right now?"
Lucy stared blankly at Natsu and Gajeel, who had somehow started brawling in midair. She didn't even know where to begin brawling.
"Aye~! This sky doesn't need two dragons." Happy commented sagely.
"...That's not your line!"
"Hey, Lucy. Did you notice a serious problem?"
"What?"
"Natsu just ran off. So what about the Element 4 members we were dealing with?"
A beat passed. Then Lucy shrieked in terror. "Could you maybe mention these things EARLIER, you stupid cat?!"
"To be having a comedy routine right in front of me..."
Totomaru's gaze darkened as magic power swirled around him. "I am an S-Class mage of Phantom Lord, you know. You're really looking down on me."
"Flame Magic: Seven-Colored Flame!"
Whoosh!
Seven differently colored flames erupted from the magic circle he formed, converging into a torrent aimed at Lucy and Happy.
In the nick of time—
A ring glowed as a magic circle flashed. Several cards flew in from the side, their spells colliding violently with the Seven-Colored Flame and scattering sparks through the air.
"Picking on our guild's cute girls? That's something I can't let slide!"
"So this is one of Phantom Lord's Element 4?"
Lucy's face lit up at the sight of the newcomers. "Loki! Cana! How did you get here?"
"The Phantom Lord mages and Phantom Soldiers on the shore have mostly been dealt with. The master sent us to support." Cana rested a hand on her hip, cards fanned out between her fingers.
"Purgatory Break is powered by living conduits. Defeating the Element 4 should stop it."
Loki's expression was grave as he explained.
"The master confused? I thought he went back to the guild to drink tea?" Happy asked,.
Cana glanced toward the sky beyond. "Because staying here is too dangerous. We need to stop Purgatory Break and get out of the Magic Colossus as quickly as possible."
"What danger are you—"
Before Lucy could finish, thunder roared and a blinding bolt of lightning split the sky.
An overwhelming magical pressure radiated from above, shaking Phantom Lord's entire fortress. Rubble showered down like hail.
The sheer force of it churned the lake, sending waves crashing repeatedly against the Magic Colossus!
Lucy's breath caught in her throat, her face pale with shock.
Even her comrades still fighting on the shore paused momentarily, staring in awe at the terrifying spectacle—thunder shaking the heavens, the lake surging, the earth trembling.
Inside the ruined guild hall.
Makarov set down the risqué photobook he'd been perusing. Hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked to the window.
"A battle between Ten Wizard Saints can shake the heavens and earth. That brat Chase... has he really reached this level?"
***
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