A few cats were laughing happily.
But Laxus's battle continued.
Two types of magic with different attributes collided and intertwined, erupting in a huge cloud of smoke that enveloped the entire arena in a haze.
The previously clear large screen now became blurry, unable to accurately display the specific situation of the battle.
However, every spectator at the scene did not relax in the slightest; they held their breath, their eyes fixed on the battle footage playing on the big screen.
Even though they were blocked by thick smoke, they did not want to miss any exciting moment.
Just then, a scream broke the silence.
A blue figure, accompanied by a sharp shriek, flew backward like a kite with a broken string, heading straight towards Richard and Gray's direction.
"Hmm? Just in time!" Gray lightly stepped in mid-air, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze, with ice crystals rapidly gathering in the air.
He clenched his fists, palms together, as threads of cold air continuously surged from his body, condensing into a layer of frost between his palms.
Meanwhile, Richard, standing on the ground, held an ancient Bible, extending one arm into the air.
His eyes flickered with eerie red light, and the magic power around his body surged again.
"I won't let you succeed easily; I'm very sorry, but this is a competition after all, and I must give it my all!"
Richard roared, "Active Square!"
In an instant, the floor began to soften, turning into quicksand, while the sides rose high, like a pair of giant hands, grabbing at Gray in the air, attempting to trap him and obscure his vision.
"This power is even stronger than before!" Jura, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, now looked back at the large screen from the maze exit, gazing at the overwhelming earth, thinking silently to himself.
Natsu, Gajeel, and Elfman, who were still fighting, were also continuously stepping on the void, hovering in mid-air, nimbly dodging the quicksand's encroachment.
In contrast, Richard's teammates, those who could use angelic power, could still fly easily in the air.
As for Oga, the God Slayer of Lightning Magic, and Erik of the former Oración Seis, they were safely caught by Richard.
However, their guild's Young Lady accidentally fell into the quicksand, but in a blink of an eye, she was transferred by Richard to her other companions.
"Tch, how troublesome! Did he still have strength left from the previous battle?" Gray couldn't help but grumble through gritted teeth.
His hands were then covered with Armament Haki, and he then lightly shouted: "Ice-Make: Ice Geyser."
With this light shout, Gray's hands touched the quicksand like lightning, and endless cold air surged out.
At the same time, the magic power within his body was completely unleashed.
In an instant, all the quicksand seemed to be enchanted, rapidly freezing until all the liquefied earth was solidified into hard ice blocks.
"What do we do next?!"
"From the looks of it, our side seems to be about to lose this match!"
Sorano sat leisurely on the shoulder of an angel, gracefully descending to the ground.
Her tone was relaxed and casual, as if she had long anticipated the current situation, and a faint smile even hung on the corner of her mouth.
Meanwhile, Minerva's face was so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water.
She glared fiercely at Sorano, looking at Fairy Tail opposite, her eyes flashing with anger and unwillingness.
Sabertooth and Fairy Tail had been fighting for a long time, but had not been able to achieve a decisive victory.
Although their magic power had been fully enhanced, they didn't expect the opponent's improvement to be so fast.
Especially the superb physical combat and the pitch-black substance that could cover their bodies at any time.
As long as this substance was present, their defense and attack power would be significantly improved.
It was very troublesome.
Not only that, their own Young Lady was completely suppressed by Laxus, with no ability to fight back.
The rules of this preliminary round were very simple: just capture the key and successfully pass the stage to win.
However, due to the prolonged stalemate, the battle was gradually developing in a direction unfavorable to them; if it continued to drag on, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Since it has come to this, as long as the key is in our hands... that's enough..." Minerva muttered to herself, reaching her hand into a specific space.
However, just as she was about to reach in, her entire body suddenly stiffened, an expression of disbelief on her face, and then she abruptly looked up, her gaze fixed directly on Laxus.
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