BOOM!
A torrent of dark purple and platinum-white magic power erupted. The intense energy waves clashed across the distance, causing the dueling platform and even the entire Nirvana to tremble violently.
Countless fragments of stone were pulled free from gravity's grasp, floating gently around Demon Chase and Satan Mira, tumbling in chaotic patterns.
The Fairy Tail members in the stands couldn't help but let out gasps of surprise. The monster showdown was about to begin.
After all, both people in the ring were their own guildmates. So even though the clashing magical auras were terrifyingly fierce, they didn't show excessive fear. In fact, they couldn't quite hide their excitement—battles between S-Class mages were a rare sight!
In the ring, Chase and Mira, both having raised their magic power to its peak state, simultaneously reined in their auras.
The fragments of stone suspended in midair lost their supporting force and began falling back down.
Plunk.
The moment the first fragment touched the ground, Mira's fierce eyes flashed, and she made the first move.
She took a single step forward, her demonically transformed fingers curling together as she slowly brought her hands to her waist, striking a pose somewhat reminiscent of the Kamehameha.
Crackle!
A dark purple magical array lit up, pulling in a massive amount of magic power toward the hollow space between her palms.
A storm of pitch-black energy erupted, dark thunder crackled, and a deep purple cluster of energy orbs, dancing with arcs of electricity, slowly took shape.
"Soul Annihilator!!"
Demon Mira roared, thrusting her arms forward with all her might.
The terrifying energy contained within the cluster orbs was fully unleashed, transforming into a beam of destruction capable of grinding all matter into nothing as it shot toward Chase.
"I thought you'd test the waters first. I didn't expect you to start with that right away. Well then, I'll—"
A gale-force wind rushed toward him. Just as the overwhelming dark purple hue was about to completely consume his vision, Chase took a deep breath and raised his right arm, now covered in white bone armor, toward the space in front of him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Platinum-white light wove together in his palm, tracing out an intricate magical array that crackled with wildly leaping golden lightning.
"Demon Descending Thunder!!"
Accompanied by a deafening thunderclap and a blinding flash of light, thunderous power, compressed to its absolute limit, howled forth from within the magical array.
CRASH!!
Soul Annihilator and Demon Descending Thunder collided with overwhelming ferocity. The terrifying impact instantly exploded!
An energy storm, woven from dark purple and platinum-white, swept across the entire Nirvana and spread outward across the lake, kicking up a surging tidal wave!
After just the first exchange of spells, the sturdy dueling platform was already showing signs of giving way, covered in deep, web-like cracks.
Chase and Mira stood facing each other in the ring, while the spectators in the stands lay sprawled in all directions, looking thoroughly disheveled.
"Hiss—ow, ow, ow. Huh? Why doesn't it hurt that much?"
Lucy, who had been thrown clear by the energy storm the moment it hit, was lying in a corner. She instinctively assumed she had crashed into the hard stone wall of the stands like everyone else, but the expected sharp pain never came.
Instead, she felt something soft beneath her back.
"Princess, your weight is heavier than I imagined. What a wonderful punishment~"
Virgo, still in her maid outfit, poked her head out from under Lucy's butt, her delicate, pretty face filled with delight as she gave a thumbs up.
"Nobody's punishing you! And can you please not pop up at a time like this?!" Lucy fumed as she closed the Celestial Spirit gate.
Suddenly appearing out of nowhere was bad enough, but what did she mean by "heavier than I imagined"?
She wasn't fat. Not at all!
Meanwhile, the other guild members who had been caught in the blast had also recovered. They exchanged glances and, as if reading each other's minds, silently moved further back to safer seats.
"Aye~! They're starting with their ultimate moves right away? Looks like this is going to be a fierce match!"
Happy's voice finally rang out from the air several seconds later.
He had been blown away by the energy storm too. His once-sleek fur was now completely puffed out. The flashy afro combined with his disheveled little suit made the entire cat look utterly ridiculous.
"Despite a little accident, please continue to follow my commentary and enjoy the match!" Happy said, still professional despite the howling winds—he had, after all, been paid (in fish). "Wow! It's Demon Mirajane's Dark Storm!"
Lucy in the stands wanted to point out that a "little accident" wasn't quite what had just happened, but before she could get the words out, her attention was caught by the dark magical hands that suddenly entered her field of vision.
In the ring, Mira had activated a magical array and was summoning numerous dark purple magical hands, all reaching for Chase.
Although Chase moved quickly, dodging and weaving across the dueling platform, as the number of magical hands increased, his space to evade was gradually sealed off.
"Demon Lightning Barrier!"
Seeing that there was no way to avoid them, Chase spread his demonic arms and erected a circular barrier around himself, crackling with demon lightning.
BAM! BAM! BAM!!
The heavy magical hands slammed down one after another. The surface of the barrier first rippled, then shattered with a crash, scattering into countless floating specks of light.
Just as Mira's expression lit up with surprise and she was about to take control of the magical hands to finish off Chase, her jet-black pupils suddenly contracted sharply.
Because the scattering specks of light flared brilliantly, and the endless lightning erupting from them cleverly raced along the magical energy of the hands, reaching her in the blink of an eye.
CRACKLE!!
Mira was completely caught off guard by this chain attack hidden within the defensive barrier and Chase's precise magical control. She was instantly engulfed by the thunder.
"Don't forget, Chase. Even in my Satan Soul form, I can control lightning too!"
Although her body was a bit numb from the electric shock, Mira, completely engulfed in golden arcs of electricity, showed no signs of panic.
She swung her arms with all her might, guiding the lightning around her body just as she would guide the lake water into a whirlpool with her magic, preparing to send it back to Chase exactly as it was.
But before she could complete her incantation, a tall figure suddenly entered her line of sight.
"Not a bad idea. But your movements were too big, and your intentions were too obvious. I'm not an idiot like Freed, you know."
Chase, clad in white bone armor, chuckled lightly. Then he raised his clenched right fist and slammed it hard into Demon Mira's shocked pretty face.
THUD!
A dull sound echoed, and shockwaves radiated outward.
Mira was sent flying by the incredibly heavy punch, crashing hard into the spectator stands on the opposite side of the dueling platform and exploding in a shower of flying rock fragments!
The sight utterly terrified Lucy, who was on the other side of the stands. "He even did that to Mira-nee... That damn card nerd really won't go easy on cute girls, after all!!"
Her already slim hopes vanished into thin air.
If by some miracle I get selected for the S-Class Trial, under no circumstances, no matter what, can I end up facing Chase!
She prayed silently in her heart, more determined than ever to prepare a white flag in advance.
I'm not as strong as Mira-nee. Taking a punch like that would definitely kill me!
***
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