"Hmm..." Yajima pondered, "Mentioning Rhode's record at this time, would it put pressure on the contestants?"
Jabadi uncertainly replied, "It shouldn't, right? Because it's not Mr. Rhode competing this round."
Lahar smiled and said, "Or maybe it will inspire the contestants' fighting spirit. The next one up is the Shadow Dragon Slayer Mage from Sabertooth."
The one who drew the 4th lot was Rogue.
His pressure mainly came from the 7th and 8th positions, not from being intimidated by Rhode's historical achievements.
Although he had been beaten badly before, Rogue didn't think he was inferior to that person from seven years ago.
This strike had to showcase his true power.
He silently stepped forward, with black mist-like Magic Power emanating from his body, causing the hem of his clothes to sway slightly.
The next second, his black hair stood on end, black dragon scale-like patterns appeared on his face and arms, and his Magic Power surged dramatically.
"Dragon Transformation?" Gajeel suddenly thought of what Jilconis said about Dragon Slayer Mages turning into dragons.
Is this guy really going to turn into a dragon?
Natsu, Laxus, and Wendy also watched Rogue nervously.
Meanwhile, Rhode recalled whether he had explained Dragon Power to his Dragon Slayer Mage — probably not, they didn't seem that strong at the time.
"Dragon Transformation? Is that what you call this state?" Although Rogue was curious about Gajeel's reaction, his face remained indifferent, "To be precise, this is Dragon Power, the true strength of Dragon Slayer Mages, the power to defeat dragons."
"..." The more he said this, the more worried Gajeel became. Turning into a dragon would indeed mean possessing Dragon Power, right?
Rhode watched Rogue with some confusion. Didn't he feel guilty saying those words now? Was the previous fight really that light?
Rogue seemed to remember as well, his breathing faltered for a moment, but then his aura increased again.
The intense Magic Power was noticeable even to the ordinary people in the audience, and a strong gust of wind arose nearby.
He focused hard, adopting the most standard posture for unleashing breath: "Shadow Dragon's Roar!"
A black breath erupted from Rogue's mouth, its corrosive power immediately engulfing the Magic Power Tester, affecting a large fan-shaped area behind it.
Yeluo'er's earlier destruction was extended by him, shattering the outer wall at the edge of the arena.
[4191]
After the shadowy breath of the Shadow Dragon dissipated, this number popped up on the Magic Power Tester.
No joy was visible on Rogue's face, but the others were quite surprised. This number seemed very close to Rhode's.
Simon, who was next, felt immense pressure. He didn't think he was much stronger than Mirena and wasn't very skilled in this kind of magic...
But the Pumpkin Man had already called his name.
Simon had no choice but to step forward, putting on an air of composure — the 'seniors' of Blue Pegasus once taught him: in such competitions, the outcome isn't important, but it's crucial to maintain your image.
Having been influenced for years, Simon stood slightly sideways, his right hand forming a palm positioned in front of his left shoulder, his neat suit enhancing his tall and outstanding stature.
First, he flashed a confident smile, then swung his right hand forward: "Dark Devouring!"
A black crescent slash flew out, exploding with a bang upon hitting the Magic Power Tester, the dense darkness spreading to cover nearly half of the arena behind it.
Judging by the range of the move, it was almost on par with Rogue's earlier.
However: [521]
Above the Magic Power Tester only appeared a three-digit number.
Simon smiled bitterly, "As expected, it's impossible."
Mirena comforted, "You did great, meow, they are all monsters — but Shenle definitely won't be worse than that guy."
"..." Simon felt even more dejected hearing that. In terms of magic, he seemed to be no match for his sister.
Should he, just like Kagura, switch to learning Gravity Magic and Swordsmanship?
The Pumpkin Man announced the score, then called out, "Number 6, Reavers contestant."
This time, Reavers didn't bring out any new product. He just took down the double-barreled shotgun from his back, twisting the mechanism on the handle a bit.
The shotgun instantly underwent a dazzling mechanical transformation. The two barrels merged, thickening and elongating, finally turning into a single rocket launcher.
"I'll just use the high-explosive rocket..."
He knelt on one knee, adjusted the type of shell, mounted the rocket launcher on his shoulder, aimed briefly, and pulled the trigger.
A small red Magic Array appeared at the mouth of the launcher, then the shell shot out with a screech, hitting the Magic Power Tester.
The sound of explosions roared, the Magic Power Tester engulfed in a sea of fire, and above the flames floated a number:
[998]
A member of Dragon's Treasure wondered aloud, "President, why didn't you let him use that?"
"That thing takes too long to reload, and using a Magic Crystal to assist in rapid firing is too costly," explained the President of Dragon's Treasure,
"Also... though modified to be relatively portable, the Magic-guided Cluster Cannon is still a weapon of war. Bringing it to the arena would displease the organizers.
"Most importantly... even if we dared to show it, the boss wouldn't dare sell it privately."
This simple, brute-force competition focusing on Destructive Power or Attack Power is quite unfavorable to us at Dragon's Treasure.
"Finally, it's my turn." Gajeel took two steps forward, casually stretched his neck, took a deep breath...
Then slowly exhaled.
He suddenly remembered something and asked, "Can I attack from a different direction?"
"You can, but why?"
"Hehe~ so I can let loose." Gajeel adjusted his position, facing his own team, revealing a mischievous smile.
Rhode instantly understood his intention, chuckled, "Should I praise his thorough consideration, or should I give him a beating when we get back?"
As he spoke, Rhode raised his hand to release a faint golden barrier, blocking the Iron Blade Storm that Gajeel spewed out, shielding against countless floor tiles blown away by his breath, and also blocking the shattered walls flying around.
Wendy was slightly startled by the exaggerated scene mainly because the attack came from right in front of her. She felt as if an Iron Dragon was really breathing at her.
"Mr. Gajeel, that was too much." Wendy patted her chest.
"Yes, indeed." Rhode nodded, deciding that he would give Gajeel a beating after all.
[5213]
The highest number so far appeared above the Magic Power Tester.
It naturally brought forth a round of exclamations and cheers.
"Gajeel..." Rogue tightly furrowed his brows, "Is that Gajeel really this strong?"
This can't be right; this isn't what I expected... I should have surpassed him by now! Rogue looked at Gajeel's back, clenching his fists.
Gajeel, however, cracked a smile, looking somewhat dissatisfied: "That much difference from that guy? Should I have used the Dragon Slayer's Secret Art earlier?"