In the lively streets of Magnolia, groups of people chased and attacked each other through alleys and avenues, drawing the attention of the townsfolk.
"Damn it, Warren—take this! Don't run!" Marcus shouted as he gave chase, hurling a water balloon.
"Heh, like I'd stand still and let you hit me!" Warren laughed, dodging while sprinting away.
"Hmph, you think you can escape like that? Watch this—Sand Magic: Sandstorm!" A magic circle appeared beneath Marcus as a swirling storm of sand surged forward, trapping Warren inside.
"Damn it, Marcus, that's cheating!" Warren yelled.
"Haha! It's totally within the rules!" Marcus grinned wickedly, tearing open a gap behind Warren and throwing a water balloon straight at his back. It exploded on impact, eliminating him instantly.
Scenes like this were playing out all across Magnolia—Reedus versus Nab, Macao versus Wakaba, and many more.
"Haha! I found armor!" Macao shouted excitedly as he was cornered by Wakaba in a narrow alley. Desperate, he rummaged through a pile of junk and pulled out a cloth bearing the Fairy Tail emblem.
But when he looked closely… it was just two torn strips of fabric.
"…Are you kidding me?"
Macao fell silent.
Wakaba burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You scared me for a second, and this is what you've got? Just give up, Macao—take this!" He tossed a water balloon.
"Damn it—!" Macao let out one final unwilling cry before being eliminated.
Meanwhile—
"There he is! Arlen-sama is over there! Sisters, attack!!"
Arlen was currently being chased by a group of overly enthusiastic female mages. Water balloons flew at him like a storm. Fortunately, with his agility—and a small shield he'd found—he managed to break out of the encirclement.
"Phew… these women are terrifying," Arlen muttered, crouching on a rooftop as he watched them pass below.
"Found an opening—take this!"
Laxus's voice rang out, followed by the sharp sound of something cutting through the air. Arlen reacted instantly, vaulting off the edge of the roof with one hand and narrowly avoiding the exploding water balloon.
"Laxus? Didn't expect to run into you here… Wait—what is that?" Arlen stared at him. "That shield… are you serious?"
He glanced at his own small shield, then at Laxus's massive one, and began questioning life choices.
"Hey! It's Arlen and Laxus—attack them!" voices shouted from below.
Gray and Lyon appeared, launching over a dozen water balloons at the two of them.
All of them were blocked effortlessly.
Simon's face changed. "Idiots! Don't just stand there—run!"
"Too late," Arlen and Laxus said at the same time, grinning.
Four water balloons flew out in unison—smack!
Gray, Lyon, and Simon were all struck in the back of the head and dropped instantly, wiped out in one move.
(Why four? Because two hit Gray. Truly unfortunate.)
The two exchanged a glance, then stepped back simultaneously and left. Their plan was clear—eliminate everyone first, then settle things between themselves.
Elsewhere, Ur, Ultear, Erza, Kagura, and Cana were advancing carefully. Judging by their gear, they'd gotten pretty lucky.
Kagura wore two large wooden boards strapped to her front and back as shields. Cana had found a battered umbrella that still worked as protection. Erza held a wooden stick. Ultear had a banana fan.
And Ur… had a long feather.
Yes. A feather.
Despite that, they had already eliminated quite a few opponents. The only one they hadn't encountered yet… was Arlen.
For some reason, everyone seemed to be targeting him.
"Still no sign of Arlen-sama," Ultear said.
"Be patient," Ur replied, patting her head. "Arlen and Laxus are prime targets. They're probably hiding somewhere."
"When I see him, I'll block everything with my sword—no, my stick—and then you all attack!" Erza declared confidently.
"…Do you really think it'll be that easy?" Kagura asked uncertainly.
"I doubt it," Cana muttered quietly. "Don't forget—you and Erza learned swordsmanship from him."
"What's this… sand?" Ultear suddenly said.
"It's Marcus's Sand Magic," Ur replied.
A massive wall of sand rose up around them, trapping them inside.
"Heh, sorry—but I'm taking all of you out!" Marcus laughed as he leapt down from a rooftop, throwing water balloons mid-air.
"Not happening—Ice-Make: Shield!" Ur formed a beautiful petal-shaped ice shield above them, blocking the attack.
"What?! As expected… not easy opponents," Marcus muttered, shocked.
"Ice-Make: Floor!" Ultear quickly followed, slamming her hands down. A sheet of ice formed beneath Marcus, causing him to slip and crash hard onto the ground.
With his concentration broken, the sandstorm dissipated.
"Now!" Kagura, Erza, and Cana seized the moment, throwing water balloons that struck Marcus directly, eliminating him.
"We're running low on ammo," Cana said. "Let's restock first."
"Agreed—stay alert," Ur nodded.
But the next moment—
Their bodies suddenly grew heavy, and they stumbled forward.
Everyone froze.
In Fairy Tail, only two people used Gravity Magic—Kagura…
…and Arlen.
"It's Arlen!" Ur frowned. "That brat was hiding and waiting for us to drop our guard!"
"Sorry, everyone—this victory is mine," Arlen's voice came from ahead.
Before they could react—
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Five water balloons hit their foreheads simultaneously, bursting on impact.
"Aaah—!"
Erza collapsed onto the ground, eyes lifeless. "I… lost… without even being able to fight back…"
"Yeah… sounds about right," Cana said, wiping water from her face.
"Are you all okay?" Kagura asked, helping them up.
"I'm fine," Ur said, then glanced at the others.
Erza was muttering to herself in shock.
Ultear, meanwhile, stared dreamily in the direction Arlen had left, stars practically in her eyes.
Ur sighed and rubbed her forehead. "These two are beyond saving… just leave them."
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