Soon, Erza encountered Evergreen.
"Erza! I've coveted the title of Fairy Queen for so long! This time, I will definitely defeat you! I will prove that I am the true Fairy Queen! There can only be one queen in 'Fairy Tail'!"
Seeing Erza appear, Evergreen, who had just petrified several more members of "Fairy Tail," immediately grew excited, as Erza was the opponent she most desired to face.
Evergreen had always held a special fondness for "fairies," even joining the guild initially because of the name "Fairy Tail."
Naturally, she cared deeply about the title "Fairy Queen" and was eager to claim it for herself.
Just the thought of the title "Fairy Queen of Fairy Tail" stirred Evergreen with intense emotion.
She envied Erza deeply—how could people have bestowed this title upon her?
"Evergreen, someone who attacks their guildmates can never become the Fairy Queen."
Looking at the agitated Evergreen, Erza spoke with a stern expression.
She was in no mood for jokes, her eyes already filled with fury.
Seeing her companions petrified by Evergreen, Erza burned with anger.
She cared deeply for "Fairy Tail," and anyone who tarnished the guild's reputation or harmed its members would face her severe retribution.
"No! As long as I defeat you and become the strongest female Mage in 'Fairy Tail,' then I will be the Fairy Queen!"
Faced with Erza's accusation, Evergreen was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly convinced herself.
As long as she defeated Erza, she would become the "Fairy Queen."
Moreover, what they were doing now was for the good of "Fairy Tail."
Although she had petrified these guildmates, she hadn't actually harmed them. Once the "coup" was over, she would release them.
"Come on, Erza! Let's settle this once and for all!"
Evergreen pushed aside those thoughts. Her only focus now was defeating Erza and seizing the title of "Fairy Queen."
"Petrification!"
Evergreen removed her glasses, and her eyes immediately began to glow with magical energy.
Anyone who met her gaze, who looked into her eyes, would be directly petrified by her "Petrifying Eyes."
Most of the "Fairy Tail" guild members had fallen to this move.
By suddenly removing her glasses and activating her magic, no one could react in time.
Erza didn't dodge either.
It was as if she hadn't reacted at all, still looking at Evergreen, still meeting her gaze.
It was a matter of politeness—when speaking to someone, you should look them in the eye.
Evergreen couldn't help but smirk.
She could already envision Erza being turned into a stone statue by her "Petrifying Eyes."
What "Fairy Queen"? She was nothing special in front of her!
'You can't handle this title—let me take it instead!'
"Hum!"
Magical light flashed. Erza closed one eye, leaving only her right eye open—the prosthetic eye that Porlyusica had given her.
Some signs of petrification appeared on Erza's body, but with a surge of her magic energy, they immediately vanished.
The "Petrifying Eyes" had little effect on her after all.
"How is this possible?!"
Seeing this outcome, Evergreen, who had just been smiling, immediately lost her composure.
Her mouth hung open in disbelief—her "Petrifying Eyes" had actually failed!
However, Erza gave her no time to dwell on her shock. She charged forward instantly, closing in on the stunned Evergreen.
Evergreen, who had intended to strike first with a surprise attack, now found herself on the defensive.
Overconfident in her "Petrifying Eyes," she was completely unprepared for this situation.
Faced with Erza's rapid advance, she could only hastily swing her fan to block.
Crack!
Without any surprise, Evergreen's fan was sliced in two by Erza, and Evergreen herself collapsed, her eyes rolling back as she fainted.
In the blink of an eye, Erza had knocked Evergreen unconscious, leaving her no chance to struggle further.
The moment Evergreen's "Petrifying Eyes" failed, her defeat in this battle was all but sealed.
In truth, Erza had deliberately misled Evergreen, causing her to misjudge the situation.
By neither dodging nor avoiding the attack, Erza had lulled Evergreen into lowering her guard, never suspecting that her magic would fail.
"This eye of mine isn't a real one," Erza thought, opening her left eye as she looked at the unconscious Evergreen.
This was a method Marco had taught her, and it had proven incredibly effective.
In a normal fight, even if Erza had been prepared, it would have been troublesome.
She couldn't afford to look at Evergreen, effectively blinding herself, while Evergreen could freely use her magic.
Evergreen wasn't limited to just "Petrifying Eyes"—if she had been allowed to fight freely, she would have been a formidable opponent.
After a moment of reflection, Erza quickly moved to help her companions return to normal.
The petrification effect could indeed be reversed.
Marco had arranged everything in advance—both the method to counter Evergreen and the way to undo the petrification magic had been taught to Erza days earlier.
Looking back, Marco must have foreseen all of this.
He had likely guessed that once Master Makarov announced the next guild master, Laxus and the "Thunder God Tribe" wouldn't take it lying down but would instead cause trouble.
As she thought this, Erza swiftly restored her companions to normal.
The rescued guild members were all stunned, seemingly still reeling from Evergreen's sudden ambush.
After a brief moment of disorientation, they regained their senses, each one furious and eager to settle the score with Evergreen.
"Forget Evergreen for now! Bring her along—we have more important things to do!" Erza shouted, calming all the guild members.
Her authority and commanding presence were strong, and the previously chaotic group quickly fell in line, following Erza to reunite with the main force.
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, Mirajane faced off against Freed.
Transforming directly into her "Satan Soul" form, Mirajane unleashed her full power, giving Freed no opportunity to use his script magic.
Caught off guard by Mirajane's sudden aerial assault, Freed had no choice but to immediately activate "Dark Writing: Darkness," entering a "demonic transformation" state to engage her in battle.
In comparison, Freed's "demon" was truly superficial, completely different from Mirajane, who had genuinely received a "demon."
His "demon" was fake, formed through "Dark Writing."
"Dark Writing: Darkness" was also a highly forbidden magic.
Freed inscribed the characters for "darkness" on his own body, transforming his form into one resembling a demon.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"
Mirajane, her face filled with rage, wildly unleashed her magic.
With her younger siblings defeated, her frenzied mode was instantly triggered.
No longer gentle, she now wanted to smash Freed's head to pieces.
Poor Freed, his most adept magic couldn't be set up in advance and under Mirajane's relentless bombardment, he had no chance to deploy it.
He could only activate his "demonic transformation" to enter combat mode, but even so, he remained overwhelmingly suppressed.