Juvia, who had long since predetermined Lucy as her most threatening romantic rival, didn't seem to be listening.
Water swirled around her. Her expression dark, she walked slowly forward, ready for battle.
"W-Wait a second, Juvia. Do you know what those things with the lightning marks in the sky are?"
Lucy stepped back, panicking. She quickly pointed at the ring of magic crystals above.
"You don't know? Those are Thunder Palace, created by Laxus. When the time is up, they will unleash indiscriminate lightning strikes on the town."
Sure enough, Juvia's attention was diverted. She looked up at the sky, her expression solemn. "Because our petrification magic was lifted."
"You mean... the entire town?"
Even though she had guessed it was Laxus's doing, Lucy still covered her mouth in disbelief. "Has Laxus gone mad?!"
"Not only that. Whoever tries to destroy them will be severely injured by the strong electricity." Juvia briefly mentioned Bisca's earlier tragedy.
Lucy's pupils contracted after hearing this, but her expression suddenly became inexplicably firm.
If she could destroy Thunder Palace and stop Laxus's madness of harming comrades and residents, even getting hurt was worth it!
But without Happy, how could her attacks reach the sky...
"The problem you should be worried about now is which of us will walk out of this rune!"
As if sensing her determination, the water swirling around Juvia grew more rapid.
"Thinking of Gray-sama, seriously injured, lying in some unknown corner — Juvia is so worried she can't stand it."
"Lucy, I'm sorry!"
With that, Juvia's entire body transformed into a stream of water, charging straight at the caught-off-guard Lucy.
"W-Wait—" Lucy instinctively raised her hand to block.
But the rapidly approaching water, just before hitting her, suddenly made a ninety-degree turn and shot straight up, heading clearly for the lightning magic crystals in the sky.
The splashing water fell on Lucy's face. Juvia's voice, growing fainter in the distance, followed.
"Juvia really, really likes Fairy Tail. Everyone accepted me — a former enemy — with smiles."
"So, even if you are a romantic rival who needs to be permanently eliminated, Lucy, you are still a comrade. Juvia will never fight a comrade!!"
CRACKLE!
The surging water broke through the lightning magic crystal. What followed was a powerful golden thunderbolt striking Juvia!
Lucy was shocked speechless by what she saw. It wasn't until the severely injured, smoking Juvia fell from the sky that she snapped back to reality, rushed forward, and leaped to catch her.
Carried by the momentum, they slid several meters down the street before stopping when they hit a roadside stall.
"Juvia! How are you?!" Ignoring her own scrapes, Lucy quickly checked Juvia's injuries.
"Lucy... does this mean Juvia can now... be officially considered a member of Fairy Tail?"
Juvia's voice was very weak.
Although everyone in the guild had accepted her without hesitation, having done bad things in Phantom Lord before, she still harbored a grudge in her heart.
"Weren't you already?!" Lucy shouted, tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Lucy...Juvia is happy..."
With that, Juvia completely fell unconscious.
On the western edge of town, explosions come one after another rang out in the sky.
Chaotic light and flaming steel violently collided. Chaos Soldier and NatsuGajeel were both knocked back by the recoil of their attacks, sent flying backward.
"Mixing the flames from his left hand with the steel from his right, turning them into molten iron that can melt anything—"
Just as Chaos Soldier stabilized himself, a wave of scorching air hit him from behind.
NatsuGajeel leaped high from behind. Above his raised arms, he held a massive, red-hot molten iron fireball.
Molten iron continuously dripped down, evaporating the moisture in the air, trailing long streams of fire as it fell toward the ground.
"Take this! Steel Flame Dragon's Demon Fire Blazing Flame!!"
A overwhelming wave of heat rushed toward him. Chaos Soldier was completely unflappable. He raised his shield, covered in endless darkness, to block.
BOOM!!
The moment the molten iron fireball hit the dark shield, a massive burst of fire exploded like a large-scale firework. The explosion echoed through the sky.
Although Chaos Soldier withstood the burning of the molten iron, he was still sent flying by the fierce, violent impact. He turned into a streak of light, rapidly fell, and crashed heavily at the foot of a mountain on the outskirts, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
The next second, a chaotic sword energy tore through the billowing dust, splitting the void and attacking NatsuGajeel.
"Ahaha! This is what a fight should be!"
NatsuGajeel's lips curled. His arms, boosted by magic circles, transformed into two flaming greatswords. He powerfully and accurately split the chaotic sword energy.
"Agreed. So this is for you!"
Chaotic light bloomed. Chaos Soldier seized this extremely brief opening to appear behind NatsuGajeel. He slammed his heavy shield into NatsuGajeel's face, sending him plummeting straight down.
BOOM!!
The already collapsed abandoned factory below was devastated again. The ground cracked. Smoke rose. Dense cracks like a spiderweb spread in all directions.
Chase, standing not far away, pulled up his cloak to block the oncoming wind and gravel.
Chaos Soldier slowly landed beside him. His blue-gold battle armor had several damaged spots. A crack had even appeared in his shield.
"Not bad. To be able to fight you to this extent that guy exceeded my expectations." Chase noticed Chaos Soldier's current condition.
After all, it was a perfect fusion of the same magical attribute. Judging by the performance in the entire battle just now, NatsuGajeel in speed, power, and magical application was considerably stronger than NatsuGray.
Moreover, there was an even more important point...
Thinking of this, Chase looked up into the depths of the smoke.
The sound of steel friction came from within — the heavily depleted NatsuGajeel was ecstatically ing the scattered steel materials, replenishing his magic power.
As the fusion of an Iron Dragon Slayer and a Fire Dragon Slayer, he could consume a greater variety of elements!
"This tastes terrible, but—"
NatsuGajeel punched his fists together. A powerful magical storm blew away the smoke. "After eating, the power comes surging out!"
"Master, can you spare a little more power?" Chaos Soldier asked in a low voice.
"According to the information feedbacked by the chestnut ball, the other battlefields are basically finished. Only the final stages remain. So—"
Chase took a deep breath and transferred the last of his remaining magic power to Chaos Soldier. "This is my last ripple!"
HUM!
With the infusion of magic power, the damage to Chaos Soldier's equipment repaired at a visible rate. His entire aura returned to its peak.
"Proposal. Let's decide this with a single, strongest strike!"
Chaos Soldier stepped forward. His sharp eyes burned with surging fighting spirit. He crossed his long sword and shield, pointing them at NatsuGajeel.
"Haha! I was thinking the same thing!"
NatsuGajeel readily accepted. He punched his fists together, bursting into a powerful aura.
After a short charge, Chaos Soldier's sword and shield lit up with intersecting light and dark magic circles.
Before NatsuGajeel's puffed-out cheeks, a blue-red magic circle also swirled.
"Chaos Creation, Destruction of Chaos!!"
"Steel Flame Dragon's Explosive Breath!!"
BOOM!!!
The two ultimate forces collided, exploding with a deafening roar.
The area where the abandoned factory had stood was instantly leveled!
Because Chaos Soldier and NatsuGajeel had tacitly restricted the Fanzhi of their magic, no irreversible damage was done to the surrounding town or its outskirts.
The price was that both were backfired by the violent impact of the explosion. One dissipated into specks of light, and the other instantly dissipated their fusion!
"If there's another chance, let's fight again."
Chaos Soldier took one last look at the separated Natsu and Gajeel, smiled with satisfaction, and returned to the deck.
"What an insanely strong guy..."
Gajeel lay flat in a "big" shape, his chest heaving violently. He couldn't help but sigh.
"Damn it! In the end, I never even got to touch that bastard Chase!"
Equally exhausted, Natsu curled his lip in annoyance. After a short pause, he slightly turned his head and looked sideways at Gajeel.
"Hey, scrap iron. You're not bad."
The Sakura-haired boy's lips broke into a bright smile. "As a comrade... I acknowledge you!"
Through their physical fusion, he had clearly felt Gajeel's desire to fuse with Fairy Tail, as well as his gratitude toward the old man and their comrades.
All his previous guard instantly dissipated.
"Wh-What the hell are you saying, you bastard! In my eyes, this annoying guild is just a place to work!"
His inner thoughts exposed, Gajeel's cheeks instantly turned red. He shouted angrily, his face fierce. "And we still have unfinished business!!"
"Of course! If I could move right now, I'd definitely beat your face swollen, just like I do to Gray!!" Natsu shouted back.
Chase stood quietly to the side, unusually not coming over to mock them.
Deep in his calm eyes was a barely suppressible excitement.
In his conscious space, a brand new card slowly spun.
Chase hadn't expected that the fusion effect of the Dragon Slayers and Chaos Soldier's debut battle would also yield a card drop.
Even more unexpected, this unexpected new card was one with anti-dragon special attack — absolutely super strong in the dragon-dominated world of Fairy Tail!
The card turned over. A seven-star panel came into view. Its name:
Dragon Destruction Swordsman (Buster Blader)!
***
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