"Well, I was really hoping to punch Joseph in the face myself, but if you're insisting, then I guess I'll let it go." Makarov chuckled, surprisingly giving in without a second thought as if he had already expected Chase to say this.
"This time, the enemy is strong," Makarov continued, now turning his gaze toward Natsu, Gray, and the others tearing through the Phantom soldiers. "But as long as your heart stays firm, your strength will keep rising."
He gave Chase a firm nod and added with quiet resolve, "Go wild. Fight to your heart's content. I'll be watching from behind."
But just as the words left his mouth, the serious air around Makarov vanished. His face relaxed into a cheeky grin, and then with a surprising bounce in his step he turned and skipped away toward town, muttering nonsense as he went.
"Time for tea and photo albums... I hear the centerfolds in the latest issue are really something this month. Hehehe~"
Watching the guild master hop away, Erza let out a deep sigh and pressed her fingers to her forehead in helpless disbelief.
"Ara ara," Mira said gently, her trademark smile unchanged.
Meanwhile, Macao, who had been standing nearby, perked up with shining eyes and muttered enviously to himself, "The latest photo album...!"
In his moment of daydreaming, a Phantom wizard charged in and raised a massive blade, aiming for Macao's blind spot.
"Oh crap!"
But before the blade could fall, a blast of smoke surged from the side, knocking the attacker clear into the air.
"Focus up, old pal. We're in the middle of a war," Wakaba said, puffing his pipe with both hands in his pockets like he hadn't just saved a life.
"Ah yeah, thanks, man," Macao scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You really saved me."
Wakaba gave a crooked grin. "Now let's mop up these ghosts quick and ask the old man for a peek at that magazine."
"Absolutely!"
The two geezers exchanged a knowing glance and then, in perfect sync, unleashed a burst of powerful magic that pushed back the Phantom troops closing in. Their resolve was burning with newfound vigor. Truly, as they say: magic is the power born from one's will and desire.
If Lucy had been in a better mood, she absolutely would've yelled at them for being perverts again.
Bzzzzzz…
Suddenly, the mechanical fortress across the lake rumbled to life. The six-legged walker shuddered violently, and its segmented limbs began retracting with a screech of metal, sending waves crashing across the lake's surface.
Atop the fortress, buildings spun, split, and folded in on themselves with complex, interlocking machinery. It was like watching an enormous jigsaw puzzle transform in real time.
In mere seconds, a terrifying mechanical giant had risen from the ruins, glowing red eyes scanning the battlefield with eerie calm.
Still scowling from his failed plan, Joseph had activated the final form of Phantom's mobile fortress the Magic Giant Weapon.
The towering mech slowly lifted its enormous arm. A dark golden magic circle began to hum to life, forming in the air with a low rumble.
The Fairy Tail members, caught off guard, stared up at the colossus in shock.
"Ahhh! Is the president really planning to use that?!"
"Wait, wait! We're still here!"
"No run! This town's gonna be blown to dust!"
Recognizing the massive magic circle forming in the air, the Phantom foot soldiers already crushed and broken in morale completely lost their nerve. With terrified screams, they dropped their helmets and bolted in every direction like scared rabbits.
In truth, when Joseph first declared war, he had no intention of activating the Magic Giant.
With Makarov present, it was near impossible to prepare large-scale magic like Purgatory Shattering, which required both time and uninterrupted energy buildup. Joseph had instead planned to settle things through a Holy Ten battle at full strength.
But then he saw Makarov jumping away toward the guild in the magical surveillance feed, humming to himself and not even taking him seriously.
That was the final straw.
That mocking indifference sparked a rage so deep, Joseph snapped.
"Fine! If you won't fight me seriously then rot with this entire town!"
"That magic circle... it's the forbidden spell Purgatory Shattering!" Mira gasped, her pupils narrowing sharply.
It was a name every mage feared.
This was on a whole different level from Jupiter. This was a city-level, no, guild-ending weapon.
"Mira, is there any way to stop it?" Erza asked quickly.
The president had entrusted this battlefield to them. They couldn't let that spell be released not while the guild still stood.
"This kind of large-scale magic usually has a power core," Mira explained, her voice serious. "If we can destroy it before it fully activates, the whole sequence will collapse."
"So all we have to do is get inside and smash it?" Erza asked.
"Looks like we've got around ten minutes," Mira said after a glance.
"That's plenty." A confident smile spread across Erza's face.
When it came to sabotage, Fairy Tail had no shortage of experts. In fact, she could think of two very specific people perfect for the job.
Without another word, she equipped her Giant Armor, sprinted forward, and grabbed Natsu and Gray mid-fight.
"No time to explain. Go!"
"Wha WAIT !"
"HUH?!"
Before the two of them could even protest, Erza hurled them like cannonballs toward the massive magical mech towering on the lake.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!" x2
Back on the battlefield, Elfman crushed a Phantom soldier and ran back toward Mira.
"Mira-sis, what the heck are Natsu and Gray doing flying through the air like that?!"
Mira smiled gently, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Well, I suppose it's finally time for a proper showdown between Erza's group and that magic giant."
Perhaps it was the high morale of her companions, or perhaps it was the worry gnawing at her heart for Erza and the others but either way, Mira stepped forward. In that instant, a surge of dark purple magical energy burst from her body.
The next moment, the form of a cold, demon-eyed beauty replaced her.
At the same time, Elfman, still confused, was flung skyward just like the baffled Natsu and Gray before him.
"I didn't exactly say I wanted to compete with Erza and the others, but still Manly Man!!"
With a bellow, Elfman struck a proud pose, arms raised high as he cut a perfect arc through the sky. Without hesitation, he followed Mira into the interior of the Magic Giant.
Interestingly, throughout this entire operation, neither Erza nor Mira mentioned Chase, nor did they spare him even a glance.
Because deep down, all three knew instinctively
Chase's opponent was never the Magic Giant, nor the Four Elements.
His true opponent… was President Joseph, the most dangerous of them all.
That was the unspoken trust between S-Class mages a silent understanding built through countless battles.
"In the blink of an eye, it's just the two of us left " Chase muttered as his gaze turned toward Lucy, standing beside him.
"So, Lucy, how about it? Feeling up to it?" he asked with a grin.
Lucy tightened her grip on her Celestial Spirit keys and gave a firm nod. "Yeah! I'm a Fairy Tail wizard too!"
But then, as Chase's smile turned slightly more sinister, her confidence evaporated.
"Wait no, no, Chess-brother! That'll kill me!!"
From the evil glint in Chase's eyes, Lucy immediately guessed what he had in mind.
I'm not Natsu or Elfman or Gray! If I get thrown like they did, I'll be knocked out before the battle even starts!
"Isn't this the so-called strongest team? You should all fight side-by-side, right?" Chase teased, his expression growing exaggerated and villainous.
Lucy's face paled. She hugged her arms over her chest and backed away quickly, shaking her head. "No way! I refuse! You're terrifying!"
"Actually, what I meant was…" Chase added, barely holding back a laugh, "…why don't you go find Happy?"
Lucy: "… "
Right. She had almost forgotten about that useless flying cat.
With that reminder, she quickly spotted Happy, still slashing away Phantom grunts in midair with his signature "Salty Fish Double Sword Style."
After a short explanation, Lucy grabbed onto Happy and took off, soaring toward the Magic Giant to rendezvous with the others.
Watching them fly off, Chase exhaled and muttered to himself, "Now then what's next…"
With a flick of his hand, several glowing cards slid from between his fingers:
[Book of Magic Card Secrets]: Slightly increases total magic power;
[Magic Card – Unicorn Horn]: Enhances card potency and boosts personal defense;
[Magic Card – Pot of Greed]: Speeds up magic regeneration;
[Magic Card – Mage's Power]: Increases allied attack and casting speed;
[Trap Card – Stamina Enhancer: Super Z]: Fully restores all magical energy.
His opponent was one of the Ten Wizard Saints, a mage on a whole different level.
As just an S-rank himself, giving himself some buffs in advance was only logical.
"…That's not overkill, right?"
....
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