Amidst the giant wreckage that filled the lake, Chase pushed aside the soil with difficulty and stood up first.
Because the attack contained the power of natural thunder, and the magic giant collapsed completely, he was inevitably affected.
His body was covered in scratches and dirt, and his handsome cape looked tattered.
As for the newly condensed Elven Swordsman, he had already vanished. Whether he was obliterated by the Sky Dragon's Thunder Roar or disappeared because Chase had completely run out of magic power it was unclear.
"Huff… Huff…"
Chase's chest rose and fell heavily as he gasped for breath. Even just standing atop the rubble felt difficult now, and his body showed clear signs of magical exhaustion.
There really wasn't a single drop left!
But still, it was worth it. They had finally taken down the monster that was Jose, and more importantly, he had obtained a super powerful card one that could fundamentally shift the future of his battle strategy!
Just as a trace of joy appeared on Chase's face and he reached out to inspect the new card
Boom.
A sudden tremor rumbled from the wreckage ahead.
Three dimly glowing purple magic circles burst through the shattered remains of the giant.
Jose stepped out, his clothing shredded, hair disheveled, face smeared in blood. His features were contorted by rage and hatred.
Even after being directly hit by that god-slaying lightning, this monster still hadn't gone down?!
"Ha… ha… ha… I never thought I'd be forced this far."
Jose's voice dripped with venom. His bloodshot eyes burned with murderous intent as he stepped forward, one shaky stride at a time. His hoarse voice, like sandpaper on steel, grated in the silence.
"Damn brat… I am Jose Porla! President of Phantom Lord! One of the Ten Holy Mages recognized by the Council!"
"The winner of this battle is me Jose Porla!!"
Whoosh.
From his clenched fist, a purple ghost of malice emerged and coiled like a living thing.
Compared to his earlier overwhelming strength, this version of Jose was clearly weakened his magic unstable, and the power of his current spell likely not even A-rank.
But…
Even that was more than Chase could handle right now!
Watching Jose draw closer, Chase stood frozen for a moment then sighed.
When it came to sheer magical strength and battle experience, he had to admit it: there was still a gap between him and these veterans of the Holy Ten.
Of course, that's not counting his ace in the hole the resurrection effect that could flip the entire board.
If he had held back earlier and activated the Stamina Enhancer Super Z to keep his magic pool full, maybe just maybe he could have landed the finishing blow on Jose.
But now?
Now it didn't really matter.
"Are you the winner of this battle?"
Chase held his head high and gave Jose a confident smile.
"That's hard to say."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint light flashed at his fingertips, and a card was immediately generated.
The seemingly ordinary action startled Jose. He reflexively summoned the purple ghost to guard in front of him.
After everything that had happened the unpredictable, unconventional way Chase used his cards Jose had developed a kind of trauma toward that fighting style.
But then he noticed Chase's shaky posture, his pale face. The youth was clearly spent.
Realizing this, Jose's expression shifted.
He snorted and dismissed the ghostly shield.
"What a clumsy and ridiculous bluff."
He laughed darkly.
"Given your fragile state, like a candle flickering in the wind, what good does it do to draw a card?"
"Do you even have the strength to activate it? Huh?!"
No matter how powerful a card was, without a wizard's magic, it was nothing more than painted paper.
Jose trusted this judgment. He raised his hand and hurled the spectral magic directly at Chase!
"You're right," Chase said, facing the surging storm with calm eyes, "but I'm sorry. This card… costs zero magic, President Jose."
Bracing against the fierce winds, Chase slowly turned the card over between his fingers.
"Special Card: Guild Bond, activate."
The card glowed with a faint pattern
A fairy dancing with grace and defiance.
Buzz!!
From the heavens, a dazzling and warm light descended.
It collided with the cursed ghost head-on and vaporized it in an instant.
The storm vanished. The shadows melted. No trace of evil was left.
Click.
Footsteps.
Heavy, steady, crunching against gravel and splintered wood.
Growing louder.
Jose's pupils dilated.
And then he saw it.
From within that radiant golden light, figures began to emerge.
One after another, they stepped forward.
Shoulders straight. Eyes clear. Magic swirling around them.
Mira.
Erza.
Natsu.
Lucy.
Gray.
Happy.
Elfman.
Cana.
Loke.
Levy and her team.
Jet and Droy.
Macau and Wakaba…
More and more kept coming, spilling into the ruins until the whole battlefield was filled.
They stood beside Chase.
They stood for Chase.
And they all glared at Jose with unwavering determination.
One wrong move just the twitch of a finger and he knew it.
He'd be hit by a hundred spells at once.
For the first time in this battle, Jose took a step back.
Then another.
His spine shivered.
It wasn't about willpower anymore.
It was pure instinct
The body's reaction to standing before something too overwhelming to challenge.
Because he had been invincible since the beginning of this battle, all he needed to do was fight to his heart's content!
At that moment, the glow of the holy light deepened, its radiance enveloping everyone present. Several beams of brilliant light fell from the sky.
Makarov, clad in the robes of the Ten Wizard Saints, slowly descended from the air and landed in front of Chase.
"According to the rules of the Fairy Trial," Makarov declared, his voice steady and solemn, "Jose. You now have three seconds to consider."
Standing atop the wreckage of the ruined giant, Makarov gazed down at Jose with a piercing look.
"Kneel down, and repent for your actions of making an enemy of us!"
"Three!"
"You want me to kneel? Repent?" Jose's voice cracked with disbelief. "Are you kidding me?! I'm the leader of Phantom Lord the strongest guild in the Kingdom of Fiore!"
His disheveled hair clung to his face as he raised one trembling arm to summon his monstrous ghost again.
"Two!"
"Phantom is the strongest! I am the strongest! Damn Fairy Tail, disappear!!"
Jose's face contorted into madness as he shouted, stepping forward toward the crowd of Fairy Tail mages bathed in divine light.
He moved one foot closer. Then another.
He was just one step away from Makarov when
despair surged through his heart like a cold flood, smashing apart the last illusion of his self-proclaimed glory.
He couldn't win.
He never stood a chance.
Jose's legs trembled violently. Then, finally, his knees gave way.
Plop!
He collapsed onto the broken remains of his once-proud magical giant, kneeling in defeat.
The ghostly magic he had attempted to summon vanished into the holy light without a trace.
At that moment, a cool breeze drifted across the lake.
It blew away the oppressive clouds and let sunlight stream down on Magnolia once again.
It washed away the heavy pressure of the battlefield and filled the air with a sense of calm.
"This matter ends here," Makarov said, glancing coldly at the man now kneeling in the dirt. "You will answer to the Council's judgment. Take care of yourself."
Then Makarov turned around.
When he faced his children his guild his stern expression melted into one of warmth and relief.
"Everyone did a great job," he said, his eyes crinkling into a joyful smile.
"We won~!!"
"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!"
The members of Fairy Tail all raised their arms in triumph, their cheers echoing across the ruined battlefield.
But one person wasn't cheering.
Chase lay quietly in Mira's arms. His magic was drained. He couldn't even move. But his smile remained.
"Mira," he asked softly, looking up at her with tired eyes. "Was I… handsome?"
From this angle, he could see her flawless face illuminated by the sunlight.
Mira looked down, her lips curving into a tender, radiant smile.
"Handsome."
....
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